
•^t^^ 



■^....^^ ■ 

















az^^^'" 



ALBERT THEODORE GOODLOE, 
First Lt. Co. D, Thirty-fifth Alabama Volunteers, C. S. A., 1863. 



Some Rebel Relics 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 



BY ALBERT THEODORE GOODLOE, 

First Lieutenant Company D, Thirty -fifth' Regiment Alabama 
Volunteer Infantry^ C. S. A, 



MEMBER OF JOHN L. McEWEN BIVOUAC NO. 4, 
Franklin, Tenn. 




Printed for the Author. w ^ / ^/ 

Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 
Barbee & Smith, Agents, Nashville, Tenn. 
1893. 



Entered, according to Act of Congi-ess, in the year 1893, 

By Albert Theodore Goodloe, 

In the OflSce of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



Euos 



.'^w? 



DEDICATION. 

To my beloved wife, the brave, wise^ and good womayi to whom I 
ivas ivedded November 29, 1855, who, though grieved immeasurably 
at my departure from her for the war, and having to endure the se- 
verest trials of her life in my absence, never undertook in any way to 
hold or call me back from our country^ s defense, but gave her consent, 
rather, for me to be a soldier, while she faithfully and constantly did 
what she could to protect our children, our home, and our financial 
interests until the war was over; 

And to my comrades in arms, who, having fought heroically for the 
principles of right, still maintain their convictions and the spirit of 
manhood which characterized them as Confederate soldiers, these 
^^ Rebel Relics " are especially and most affectionately dedicated. 

A. T. GOODLOE. 



INTRODUCTORY STATEMENTS. 



Nothing was farther from my mind throughout 
my boyhood and early manhood days than the 
thought of going to battle, my very dreams of war 
being oppressive and frightful; and there is no prob- 
ability that any occasion other than the one that did 
occur could ever have induced me to volunteer for 
military service. To Abraham Lincoln, who inaugu- 
rated and perpetuated the bloody era of our country, 
as Confederates all believed, is due the credit of my 
becoming a soldier. His original call for seventy- 
five thousand troops to subdue "the rebellion," so 
called, not only transformed me from a Unionist into 
a Secessionist, but also engendered within me the 
warrior spirit. I was never as brave as I wished to 
be, but I fought him with what of courage and vehe- 
mence I could command, because he placed before 
me the alternative, as I understood him, of becoming 
his bond-servant, or of defying his self-constituted 
authority at the point of the bayonet. 

That I did rebel against such authority as Mr. 
Lincoln assumed, and defy his armies on the field 
without reference to cost, I not only do not regret, 
but consider that occasion was thus furnished me for 

(5) 



b REBEL RELICS. 

great personal gratification. I regard, indeed, this 
act of mine as not only altogether justifiable in every 
sense, but as constituting the most momentous and 
loftiest movement of my life or that is possible to 
any man. To have been a Confederate soldier in the 
true sense is to have done the sublimest thing that 
could have been done. The children of Confederate 
soldiers rise up and call them blessed, as will also 
the generations which are, in succession, to follow. 

Having kept a diary, though in brief form, during 
my term of military service, I have, ever since the 
war, felt under obligations to my family and com- 
rades in arms to put to record in readable form the 
incidents and events therein briefly noted, and to 
present the several aspects, etc., of army life as they 
came under the observation and within the experi- 
ence of a Rebel soldier. To do this work effectually 
and to exhibit these relics which I present in their 
true light to those who may view them, 1 must needs 
put on again, as it were, the Confederate gray and 
pass through the scenes, in my mind, which in reality 
I heretofore did; and I must employ the dialect also, 
to which we were accustomed in time of war. It is 
hardly possible, indeed, for me to do otherwise; as my 
army diary, the record of a Rebel's hand while in the 
fight, furnishes the material, in the main, which I 
would now reduce to order. If I write at all of these 
matters, I must use such language as to do exact jus- 



IJ^TKODUCTOKY STATEMENTS. 7 

tice as nearly as possible to the real spirit and gen- 
ius of tlie Kebel soldiery and bring fully and fairly 
to view the things of which I write. 

As to the propriety of such a production as this at 
this remote period from the war, it will be considered 
by some that such a publication is a mistake, as be- 
ing calculated to arouse afresh the animosities of 
other days. This need not be the case, and is not 
likely to be among fair-minded and intelligent peo- 
ple, even on the otlier side of the Ohio River; but, be 
that as it may, must v/e fail, for fear of offending su- 
persensitive saints, to show to our offspring and to 
the world at large what we undertook and what the 
significance of the undertaking was in all its bear- 
ings; and thus allow all who so desire to see through 
our eyes what came before our vision in our efforts 
to establish our national independence. 

I do not undertake to state the origin and develop- 
ments of campaigns, and I simply allude to, without 
attempting to describe, the battles in which the com- 
mand to which I belonged was engaged, not to speak 
of what other commands did on the field. While in 
the battle my observations were confined mainly to 
my individual company and the enemy in our imme- 
diate front; so that I could not, if I would, tell, of my 
own knowledge, what transpired on other parts of the 
field. My desire is rather to speak of the minor af- 
fairs of the war, as some would probably call them, 



8 SOME KEBEL RELICS. 

and to make conspicuous, the Eebel soldier of the 
ranks; noting also, to be sure, such impressions and 
sentiments as he experienced and such facts as came 
within the range of his observation. 

As to method in presenting these relics to the pub- 
lic, the reader must ascertain for himself, if he can, 
what the arrangement is. I simply tell things as I 
come to them and in the familiar way that I would 
talk of the war in the home circle conversation. This 
much, however, may be said as to the matter of ar- 
rangement: Having first spoken of various aspects, 
incidents, etc., of the war, as seen from my stand- 
point, and given expression to some views of mine, 
which I consider proper and pertinent, I finally en- 
ter into a somewhat elaborate statement of the reli- 
gious exercises and movements in our army, wherein 
many soldiers took part, and from which we derived 
unspeakable benefit. With an account of the Chris- 
tian labors and the work of divine grace among us, I 
close these "Rebel Relics." 



SOME REBEL RELICS. 



CHAPTER I. 



BEFORE the "fall of Donelson," Feb- 
ruary 16, 1862, I, with most others in 
the South, did not believe it needful for men 
having families to enlist in the Confederate 
army, except those who, having some milita- 
ry knowledge, were capable of commanding, 
the general impression among us being that 
Lincoln's Yankee invaders could be driven 
back without them; and so, being a man of 
family, I did not determine to enlist nntil 
that occurrence took place. That disaster 
convinced me that every man in the South 
who could possibly do so ought to join the 
army as an effective fighting soldier, and I 
at once began to make arrangements to en- 
list for the war, let that be long or short. 

My home at that time was in Wilson 
County, Tennessee, thirteen miles from 

(9) 



10 SOME REBEL RELICS 

IN'ashville, on the Cumberland Eiver, where 
I supposed it would not be safe to leave my 
family; but thinking they would be forever 
out of reach of the Yankees in Franklin 
(now Colbert) County, JSTorth Alabama, I 
took them to the home of my uncle, J. Cal- 
vin Goodloe, living in that county. 

Upon reaching my Uncle Calvin's I 
learned that a regiment of volunteer infantry 
was being organized at La Grange, and 1 en- 
listed in that as soon as I could get my 
business affairs arranged, which Avas not 
long after. It was the Thirty-fifth Alabama 
Regiment, and I became identified with 
Company D, known also as Mollie Walton 
Guards, as a private. Some months after- 
ward I was made fifth sergeant, and on 
September 24, 1862, 1 was elected third lieu- 
tenant. Shortly after this I was promoted 
to second lieutenant, and on December 10, 
1862, I became first lieutenant, which po- 
sition I held to the close of the war. I had 
never met but very few members of the regi- 
ment before I joined it, but I did not feel that 
I had cast my lot among strangers, for the 



PKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 11 

spirit of devotion to our Southland bound 
us together as comrades in a holy cause. I 
was then a class leader in the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, South, my ministry not 
haviug begun until 1868. 

Col. J. "W. Robertson had command of 
the regiment, not yet entirely filled out, 
and it was being drilled from day to day, 
preparatory to active service. It was not 
contemplated that it would leave La Grange 
until its organization was completed and it 
was equipped for service; but before this 
was done it was learned that the Yankees, 
already threatening that section of coun- 
try, had found out our location and condi- 
tion, and were developing plans for our cap- 
ture, which made it necessary for us to seek 
safer quarters as promptly as possible. 

Very hurriedly we left La Grange late 
Monday evening, April 14, 1862, without 
equipage of any kind, except that there 
were a few old guns and cartridges in Com- 
pany B. We took the Russellville road, 
and marched till 9 o'clock at night, when 
we reached Spring Creek and went into 



12 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

camp. Here quite a serious accident oc- 
curred to young Spivey, one of the sol- 
diers. His gun was accidently discharged, 
and wounded his arm so badly that Dr. San- 
ders had to amputate it. The next day we 
went on to Cedar Creek, our second encamp- 
ment for the night. 

Having a horse (Mike) with me, which I 
had expected to send back to Uncle Calvin's 
from La Grange, but which Col. Robertson 
preferred me not to do just then, he being 
needed for scouting purposes, I was direct- 
ed to ride a mile or two in the rear of the 
regiment, so as to give the alarm if pursuing 
Yankees were seen, which was to be done 
by making Mike outrun them to the regi- 
ment, which, doubtless, he would have been 
fully capable of doing under the circum- 
stances. 

Late in the night at Cedar Creek two 
members of the regiment who were not at 
La Grange when w^e started overtook us 
and brought information that the Yan- 
kee cavalry were in pursuit of us, and were 
then at IS^ewburg, a few miles beyond Rus- 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 13 

sollville. Four others who could be mounted 
and myself were hurried off at once (2 
o'clock A.M., April 16), to find them if we 
could, and to report promptly the actual 
state of affairs to Col. Robertson. One of 
this scouting part}' was Rev. Robert A. 
Wilson, chaplain of the regiment, and a 
member of the Tennessee Conference, Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, South. The others 
besides myself were Felton, Isaac L. Pride, 
and Russell. I regret that I have not at 
hand the given names of Felton, who acted 
as ca]Dtain, and Russell. Back to Russell- 
ville we went speedily, where one of the 
party was left to make observations, and 
then on to Newburg and beyond, but no 
Yankees could be found. While this milita- 
ry performance was being enacted with vig- 
or and relish the regiment was marching to 
Burlerson, across Big Bear Creek, which 
was considered a place of security, and 
which place it reached the same day. 
Here Col. Robertson decided to hold the 
regiment until he could get instructions from 
army headquarters as to the command we w ere 



14 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

to report to* unless -those everlasting Yan- 
kees should threaten us again; which indeed 
they proceeded to do, according to report, 
quite soon. 

Saturday, April 19, a very rainy day, a 
rumor reached Col. Robertson that the Yan- 
kees had scented us again, and were march- 
ing in pursuit of us by way of Frankfort, and 
Brother Wilson and I were dispatched to that 
place to ascertain the facts in the case, while 
the regiment was put in motion for Corinth, 
Miss., the seat of war in the Mississippi De- 
partment. We then entered upon a novel 
experience as a Methodist preacher and class 
leader. We were to act upon the principle 
that " all things are fair in war," so far as 
deceiving the enemy was concerned. Our ride 
to Frankfort was interesting indeed. We 
were instructed to spread the report through 
the citizens along our route, that the Yan- 
kees might get it, that the regiment was 
well armed and heavily reenforced, and that 
the combined force was in motion to clean 
out North Alabama of Yankees; and with 
great care we fulfilled our mission. There 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 15 

was intense excitement everywhere we went, 
everybody expecting the Yankees to pounce 
upon them at any moment. We would alhxy 
their fears with deceptive statements about 
the strength and movements of our com- 
mand, and they would spread the "good 
news " like wildfire. Under pretense of 
wanting water, we would call at houses in 
order to get a favorable opportunity to deliv- 
er our message of joy to the inmates. I 
could not but feel sorry for them as we rode 
off, as I thought how effectually we had de- 
luded them. We arrived at Frankfort early 
in the afternoon, and found a large crowd in 
the courtyard looking down the Tuscumbia 
road, expecting to see the approaching Yan- 
kee column every minute. Seeing us as we 
rode on the square from the opposite direc- 
tion, and not knowing who we were, they 
instantly faced about, and exclaimed, taking 
us for Yankees : " Yonder they come from an- 
other direction! " Recognizing Judge Trim- 
ble on the street, a former acquaintance of 
mine, I made myself known to him, and got 
such information from him as we needed. I 



16 SOME REBEL RELICS 

also loaded him well with the glad tidings 
that we had ample facilities for swabbing 
the ground with every Yankee in that region. 
This delighted him ver}^ much, and as he 
knew" me to be perfectly reliable, he repro- 
duced my statements with confidence to oth- 
ers. I have wondered what he thought of me 
for taking so much pains to tell what was 
not so, supposing that he afterward learned 
that our regiment, neither reenforced nor 
armed, w^as at that time hurrying to Corinth 
with all possible speed. We had now gone 
as far as and done all that we were instructed 
to do, and from here we turned back to over- 
take our command. Whether we were in- 
strumental in diverting the Yankees from 
their supposed pursuit of the regiment or 
not we never knew, but we heard no more 
of their hanging about us, and we marched 
on to Corinth without molestation, reaching 
there Wednesday, April 23, 1862. 

As we rode along, fulfilling the mission 
upon which we were sent. Brother Wilson 
and I talked it over from the standpoint 
of the moral law, and settled the question 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 17 

that it was right to prevent the capture of 
our men if possible by deceiving the enemy 
as far as we could, though it be done through 
the medium of other parties; and especially 
as we were acting under instructions from a 
superior officer in time of war. From that 
time on I never had any hesitancy in deceiv- 
ing and misleading Yankee soldiers when an 
opportunity afforded to do so. 

On this scout, so to speak, I became inti- 
mately acquainted with our chaplain, and 
formed an attachment for him which will go 
on into eternity. He was a true man of 
God, and did all that he could while with us 
to promote the spiritual interests of the sol- 
diers. He had the spirit of consecration to 
the Master's service, and preached for us and 
mingled among us as a devout and sincere 
man of God. Of him and his work other men- 
tion will be made hereafter. 

The day before our regiment reach Cor- 
inth we were at Jacinto, Miss., where we 
had camped the night before, and there elect- 
ed our field officers, it being thought best 
that we report to army headquarters as an 



18 SOME REBEL RELICS 

organized command^ rather than as several 
companies being led by a nominal colonel, 
thongh recognized by all as our colonel. 
We elected as colonel J. W. Robertson; 
lieutenant colonel, Ed Goodwin; major, 
Hunt, whose given name I cannot recall. 
They were professors in La Grange College, 
I understood, and had much to do in having 
the regiment made up. Plunt soon trans- 
ferred to the Virginia army; Robertson aft- 
er awhile went into another department of 
service; and later on Goodwin died. As 
these parted from us others took their places, 
and we had Ives as colonel; Ashford, lieu- 
tenant colonel; and Dickson, major. 

Up to April 25, 1862, it was my purpose 
to become identified w^ith Company I, to help 
fill it out, but then it was thought that there 
was no probability of it being filled out, and 
so it was, for the time at least, disbanded, and 
I went at once over to Company D, hereto- 
fore mentioned. This was my company for 
the war, the name of which is ever melodi- 
ous to my ear. It was made up mostly in 
Limestone County, Ala., and was taken out 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 19 

by Dr. W. T. Sanders, who, however, did 
not remain with it long, preferring the snr- 
gical department. 

We reached Corinth at a time when the 
army seemed to be nndergoing reoi-ganiza- 
tion under Gen. Bragg, and there was much 
appearance of confusion. We were first bro- 
ken up as a regiment, and the companies di- 
vided out among other regiments, which dis- 
tressed US very much, and caused universal 
regret that we did not report to some other 
commander rather than Gen. Bragg. If talk- 
ing about people makes their ears burn, we 
surely set his on fire. There is no telling 
how many ^'blessings" he got, nor in what 
shapes. But April 30, 1862, came, and it was 
definitely determined that we, having been 
gathered together again April 26, and as- 
signed temporarily to Gardner's Brigade, be 
permanently attached to Preston's Brigade, 
of Breckinridge's Division. Then w^e had 
no further fault to find with Bragg. We 
were with splendid soldiers, and we were 
highly pleased with our generals. We had 
no choice as to commands, however, only 



20 SOME REBEL RELICS 

wishing to maintain. our organization as a 
regiment. 

We were with Preston and Breckinridge, 
as brigade and division commanders, until 
after the battle of Baton Rouge, August 5, 
1862. 'Not long after that Rust and Lovell, 
brigadier and major generals were in com- 
mand in their stead, and were with us at the 
battle of Corinth, October 3, 4, 1862. Sub- 
sequent to that a short time Gen. Buford 
was our brigade commander, and Gen. Lo- 
ring our division commander; but Buford 
after awhile transferred to the cavalry serv- 
ice, and Col. Scott, of the Twelfth Louisiana 
Regiment of our brigade, being the ranking 
colonel, succeeded him. We were longest 
and best known as Buford's Brigade, and 
even after Scott's promotion it was difficult 
for our brigade to change its name. An 
army dispensation for a lodge of Masons was 
procured, and this was named " Buford 
Lodge;" our Christian Association also was 
named the " Christian Association of Bu- 
ford's Brigade; " and these names were never 
changed. It is worth while to say, however, 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 21 

that after Hood's campaign into Middle Ten- 
nessee, in which the magnificent army turned 
over to him by President Davis was ahnost 
destroyed, we conkl hardly be said to be in 
command of any particular officer. What 
was left of the army was in scattered and 
shattered fraguients; and tliese, being thrown 
together in different shapes from time to 
time, were nnder the ranking officers at 
hand. Well, the fragments were tnrnedover 
to Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, from whom the 
original army had been taken, just before 
the final battle of Bentonville, and we began 
to assume some form and comeliness, but 
then the war was virtually at an end. 

We were satisfied in the main with our 
commanding generals of all ranks, though 
we did not think Pemberton, the ranking of- 
ficer at the battle of Baker's Creek, and 
Hood competent to be department command- 
ers, and I have several notes in my diary of 
dissatisfaction with Gen. Scott. To be sure 
he was our brigade commander during the 
severe campaigns in Georgia and Tennessee, 
under Johnston first and then Hood, but we 



22 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

could not feel that liQ was such an officer as 
we were entitled to on such campaigns as 
those. His connection with an incident with 
which I also was connected, and of which I 
will here make mention, was certainly not 
creditable to him as a comrade in arms with 
those in his command, not to speak of any 
other estimate which conld legitimately be 
put upon his conduct not favorable to him. 
While Hood was on the eve of giving up At- 
lanta, I was commanding onr picket line on 
the left, Companies C and G of our regiment 
being at that time under my more immediate 
command, owing to a recent consolidation 
of companies. On a ridge beyond our picket 
line, and separated from us by a narrow val- 
ley or bottom, the Yankee column was mov- 
ing southward to flank Hood on the left. 
The dark cloud of calamity was fast thicken- 
ing about us, and eventful scenes were trans- 
piring W'hich w^ere surpassingly momentous. 
Angust 20, 186i, I sent forward from our 
picket line tW'O "boj^s" of my immediate 
command, Rufus Hafley and Milton Gray, to 
watch the movements of the Yankees and 



FROM THE SEAT OP WAR. 23 

note the size of their column. They were 
gone but a short while until they came back 
with a mounted Yankee officer, James 
Coughlan, tirst lieutenant, and aid-de-camp 
to Gen. Cox. They had just managed to 
secrete themselves from the enemy, and suf- 
ficiently near to them to make careful obser- 
vations, when Coughlan — a Kentucky Yan- 
kee, by the way — rode past them to try and 
get a vieAV of our position. At the opportune 
moment Hafley and Gray rose up from their 
hiding place, then in his immediate rear, and, 
with their guns pointing at him, marched 
him quickly to where I was. He had the ap- 
pearance of having been w^ell raised by Chris- 
tian parents, but was the lonesomest-looking 
Yankee I ever saw. He thought of his moth- 
er at once, who I understood him to say was 
a widow, and who would be in great grief 
when she heard of his being lost from his 
command, thinking that he had been killed. 
He said that if he could only get a message 
to his command, and through it to his moth- 
er, that he was only a prisoner, and not slain, 
it would be great satisfaction to him. In this 



24 SOME REBEL KELIOS 

we gratified him at once, my Rebel boys agree- 
ing to go in speaking distance of his com- 
mand, and tell them of his whereabouts. This 
mission they performed as neatly as they did 
his capture, and him we sent to the reai*, dis- 
arming him of course. 

Coughlan's equipment consisted in part of 
a pair of field glasses and a sword. His cap- 
tors were more than pleased for me to have 
the sword, which was surrendered to me, and 
they wished to keep the glasses. Upon hear- 
ing of this capture, and that we had these ar- 
ticles in possession, Gen. Scott set to work 
to get possession of them — the glasses for 
himself, and the sword for his adjutant 
general. He ordered that the}^ be delivered 
to his ordnance officer for valuation, that he 
might take them at the price put upon them, 
taking advantage of a supposed military law 
that what is captured in battle belongs to the 
government, and if disposed of must be done 
so through government appraisers. By this 
device he possessed himself of the glasses, 
which he carried away with him after the 
battle of Franklin. These he got from the 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 25 

boys who took them, bat I refused to send 
up the sword to the ordnance department. 

This note appears in my diary Tuesday, 
Sei)tember 13, 1861: "I received to-day a 
written * special order' from Gen. Scott to 
deliver to his ordnance officer, the bearer of 
the special order, the sword surrendered to 
me by Yankee Lieut. Coughlan, A. D. C, 
etc., August 20, for the purpose of having it 
valued, and with the intention, on his part, of 
getting it for his adjutant general. This 
order I positively refuse to obey until I am 
assured by the bearer of it that I myself will 
be allowed to take it at valuation; and then, 
declining to deliver it to him, I take it up 
myself. The Board of Appraisers value it, 
and I agree to pay the valuation, when Ord- 
nance Officer Boring (for this is his name), 
being posted by Scott, from all appearances, 
gets it in his hand, and refuses to give it 
back to me. This is more than I can stand. 
My wrath gets the better of me, and I turn 
upon him such a volume of abuse that he is 
glad to let me take the sword to secure my 
departure from his presence." I had no fur- 



26 SOME REBEL RELICS 

ther trouble about the sword, except that I 
felt the need of repenting before the Lord, 
which I did, for having given the rein to my 
temper on this occasion. 

The only chance to recover the glasses was 
through the war department at Richmond. 
To this I made my complaint and appeal in 
due form, and confidently believe I would 
have succeeded after so long a time, had not 
our military affairs been thrown into inextri- 
cable confusion so soon after that. 

This is one of the relics of the war which 
I record with much hesitancy, from the fact 
that I love every Rebel, so called, who took up 
arms against the invasion of our Southland, 
and dislike to say anything to injure the 
character of any of them; and yet these in- 
cidents give an insight into some of the as- 
pects of army life which ought to be brought 
to view. 

As to Gens. Pemberton and Hood, made 
mention of as not being so popular w^ith us 
as other officers of their rank, their names 
and exploits have long since gone into the 
history of the "lost cause." They threw 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 27 

away two splendid armies; and their blun- 
ders were of such a nature as seemed to re- 
sult from recklessness rather than reason. 
The army which Pemberton took into the 
Vicksburg deadfall, where Loring refused to 
carry his division, was not a large one, but 
no braver troops ever went to battle. The 
army which Hood broke to pieces was the 
flower of the Confederacy when it was taken 
from Joseph E. Johnston and given to him. 
These two generals, Pemberton and Hood, 
Ave were accustomed to call, while under 
them, '^Jeff Davis's pets," but possibly Ave 
did both them and Davis an injustice in so 
doing. 



CHAPTEE II. 



THERE was no mistaking the temper of 
the Confederate army at Corinth when 
the Thirty-fifth Alabama Regiment reached 
there, April 23, 1862. The great battle of 
Shiloh had bnt recently been fought, where so 
many of their gallant comrades had fallen, but 
the survivors here encamped were as brave 
and defiant as they ever were, and as ready for 
battle as though they had never known its 
horrors. Besides various minor engagements, 
the fight at Farmington Friday, May 9, gave 
the enemy to understand that they were con- 
fronted by foemen whose valor was only in- 
tensified by their reverses. At Farmington 
the invaders were utterly outdone and rout- 
ed, throwing aAvay knapsacks and other ac- 
couterments as they sought to escape from 
the yelling Rebels. 

On this battle ground, after the fight was 

over, Dr. I. F. Delouy, a very particular 

C28) 



SOME REBEL RELICS. 21) 

friend of mine and member of our regiment, 
picked up and gave to me a very nice pock- 
et Bible. An inscription on it showed that 
it belonged to a Yankee soldier from Illinois 
named Scott, and that it vv^as given to him by 
his mother. It was excellently bound in red 
leather, and as it was of more convenient 
size for carrying in my pocket, I made use 
of it mainly instead of mine. I read it 
through several times, and often wished that 
I had some way of conveying it to the own- 
er. When the war was over, I addressed a 
letter to him to the post office given in the 
book, receiving no reply e About twenty-two 
years afterward my oldest son, to whom I 
had given the Bible, learned by correspond- 
ence with the postmaster in Illinois that he 
was at Lone Oak, Tex., and sent it to him. 
He wrote letters to my son and myself, ex- 
pressing his great satisfaction at its return; 
and I am sure that we were fully as glad that 
he had received it. He was one of Scho- 
field's soldiers. 

It seemed that a general engagement was 
imminent the whole time we were at Cor- 



30 SOME REBEL RELICS 

intb, but up to the time that the army left 
there. May 29, 1862, no great battle was 
fought. We vvei'e several times in line of 
battle for a general onset, and there was 
much skirmishing first and last; but the 
Farmington fight, which was not an exten- 
sive one, was the largest battle that took 
place during our stay there. We believed 
then, and I believe now, that had the Yan- 
kees been as ready of mind for a fight as we 
were, we would have joined battle any day; 
but they still stood in terror of Rebels, not- 
withstanding the important advantages they 
had recently gained over ns. They knew 
also that it took two or three of their sol- 
diers to whip one of ours, and that then it 
was uncertain on a fair, open field. This is 
not mere boasting, for on several occasions 
they were routed with less than half their 
numbers when the field was open, and never 
did they drive a Confederate army with 
fewer men than were in it. How could they 
fight as the Confederates did, wdien the high- 
est motives that prompted them in the main 
were of a mercenary and spiteful sort; when 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 31 

the Confederates were standing for their in- 
alienable rights of property, country, and 
home? The love of country may have moved 
some of them to take up arms against us, 
but who does not know that had this been 
the only incentive allowed in the formation 
of a Yankee army to enlist for our subjuga- 
tion, scarcely a corporal's guard, so to speak, 
could have been drummed up, and that there 
would have been no further dream of war? 
AVe are not to cultivate bitterness of feeling, 
nor indeed to allow it, toward the inveterate 
foes of the Southern people, but the facts are 
not so much as in the field of controversy, 
that the typical Yankee soldier meant to 
despoil us of our possessions, to wrench from 
us our rights of every kind, and to merciless- 
ly degrade us to the utmost possibility with- 
in his power. 

The spirit which impelled the typical 
Yankee soldier southward for our subjuga- 
tion is the sauie which has dominated one of 
the great political parties of the country 
ever since our surrender. These virulent foes 
of ours have never been satisfied that they 



32 SOME REBEL RELICS 

only robbed ns of our estates winch we held 
under the laws of tlie government from 
which they would have us not depart, and 
destroyed our nationality; they w^ant us to 
kiss the hand that smote us, and to follow in 
their wake in all things — political, educa- 
tional, religious, and what not. They would 
have us to have no convictions nor con- 
sciences of our own, but to be in abject serv- 
itude to the dictates of theirs. They hate 
us since the war because, though overcome 
by their armies, vastly outnumbering ours, 
we act the part of freemen having the rights 
of citizenship. And but for the noble De- 
mocracy of the iS^orth our people would be 
hectored over perpetually by Republican 
satraps of the most venomous and vindictive 
kind, until their rule could no longer be tol- 
erated, and another deluge of blood would 
come upon our Southland. All honor to the 
noble ISTorthmen who have ever given us the 
right hand of fellowship since we laid down 
our arms and have constantly withstood the 
flood tide of hate that would overwhelm us! 
Whatever may be the questions at issue 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAll. 33 

fimong the political parties of the day (T 
write January 29, 1892), the one which 
overshadows all the rest is: Shall the people 
of the South be as free as those of the 
I^orth? Democracy says they shall; Ke- 
publicanism says they shall not. There is 
no cry that can rally the cohorts of Kepubli- 
canism like that of " Crush out the Southern 
traitors! " A lying epithet; but all the bet- 
ter suited, for that reason, to their purposes. 
We may not write of the war from our 
standpoint, nor tell of the heroism of our 
fallen braves, as we decorate their graves, 
without incurring the wrath of our never 
wearying pursuers, and being stigmatized as 
Rebel villains of whom the government 
should rid itse\[ instant er. With the I^orth- 
ern Democrat, however, we may stand by 
our convictions and our war record and still 
be loyal citizens. He may not applaud all 
our utterances, and may indeed dispute some 
of them, but he does appreciate the spirit of 
manhood that moves us to honor the cause 
for which we fought and the comrades who 

fell by our sides. He cares not that we love 
3 



34 SOME REBEL RELICS 

the fallen Confederacy, because he knows 
that in good faith we laid down our ai-ms, 
and that we are as true to a reunited coun- 
try as though we had never seceded. He 
knows that we have no thought of reestab- 
lishing the Confederacy, and that we could 
not if w^e w^ould. 

I am not trying to convey the idea, as will 
be readily perceived, that the Democratic 
party, as a political organization, is immacu- 
late; nor do I mean to speak in any sense 
from the standpoint of a political partisan. 
As to politics, I was a Whig until that par- 
ty ceased to exist, and am now^ M^J per- 
suaded in my own mind that the Democracy 
of to-day, as well as that of other days, has 
many sins to atone for. But in the time of 
imminent need and peril it became our only 
bulwark of security against the wrathful on- 
slaught of our would-be destroyers; and so 
as one w ho could not but see that the humil- 
iation or destruction of himself, his offspring, 
and his countrymen was determined upon by 
our Republican adversaries, I turn with 
grateful heart to our timely deliverer, the 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 35 

IN^ationiil Democracy, regarding it in this 
one liglit, without respect to what consti- 
tutes its platform of principles in other par- 
ticulars. 

As the ruling idea of Republicanism is to 
"put black heels on the necks of Southern 
whites," so the ruling idea of Democracy is 
to protect us against so dire a calamity; so 
that, as a matter of self-preservation and ne- 
cessity, we take refuge in the ranks of 
Democracy, the principle being the same 
that actuated us in other days, in withstand- 
ing, in arms, the aggressive destroyers 
whom Lincoln sent South to blot us from 
the face of the earth. 

And it is not enough for our enemies of 
to-day that a political party should be 
formed and perpetuated, on the basis of ha- 
tred and abuse of the South, but religionists 
also beyond the Ohio and Potomac Kivers 
must incorporate such Satanic principles into 
their creeds. The jN'orthern Methodist 
Church especially has made itself notorious 
through its spokesmen for its bitter denun- 
ciations of Southern white citizens and 



36 SOME BEBEL EELICS 

Southern institutions; and their wicked rant 
is about as profuse and devilish this first 
month of January, 1892, as it was when they 
were trying to destroy Southern Methodism 
during and at the close of the war. From 
week to week their Church papers regale 
their readers with impious maledictions 
against the South, hurled at us for our deg- 
radation and destruction, an enduring illus- 
tration of the venom of the typical Yankee 
toward us. The soldiers of Lincoln not hav- 
ing accomplished our extermination by dis- 
arming us, these jN^orthern religionists of the 
Wesleyan type would have us devoured by 
some other method if possible. 

These same delectable Methodists of the 
Yankee persuasion, their bishops and other 
preachers in the lead, in connection with the 
Lincoln administration, arranged to appro- 
priate to themselves during the war the 
churches of ours upon which they could lay 
their thieving hands. At their instance, 
the Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, Lincoln's 
Secretary of AYar, issued the following 
order, November 30, 1863, addressed to his 



FIIOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 37 

army commanders, and known as the " Stan- 
ton- Ames order; " 

You are hereby directed to place at the disposal of 
Bishop Ames all houses of worship belonging to the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in which a loyal 
minister, who has been appointed by a loyal bishop 
of said Church, does not ofBciate. 

In keeping with this order, Maj. Gen. 
Banks, with headquarters at l^ew Orleans, 
and commanding the "' Department of the 
Gulf," issued the following " Special Order, 
]N'o. 15," January 18, 1864: 

In accordance with instructions contained in a let- 
ter from the Secretary of War, under date of Novem- 
ber 30, 1863, all houses of worship within this de- 
partment, belonging to the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South, in which a loyal minister, who has 
been appointed by a loyal bishop of the said Church 
does not officiate, are hereby placed at the disposal of 
Kev. Bishop Ames. Commanding officers at the va- 
rious points where such houses of worship may be 
located are directed to extend to the ministers that 
may be appointed by Bishop Ames to conduct divine 
service in said houses of worship all the aid, counte- 
nance, and support practicable in the execution of 
their mission. Officers of the Quartermasters' De- 
partments are' authorized and directed to furnish 



38 SOME REBEL RELICS 

Bisliop Ames and his clerk with transportation and 
subsistence, when it can be done without prejudice 
to the service; and all officers will afford them cour- 
tesy, assistance, and protection. 

Says Bishop McTyeire, of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, South, in his ^'History of 
Methodism: " '^After the Federal forces had 
occupied large sections of Southern territory. 
Bishop Ames, with preachers of the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church (]N"orth), followed the 
victorious army with an order procured from 
Secretary of War Stanton, and took forcible 
possession of Southern Methodist pulpits, 
even to the exclusion of ministers appointed 
by the Church authorities and desired by the 
congregation. These violent pastors held 
on after the war ceased, and had to be oust- 
ed ungracefully and reluctantly. The intru- 
der placed in Carondelet Street Church by 
Bishop Ames's order was got out barely in 
time for the meeting of the General Confer- 
ence at I^ew Orleans," in which church the 
Conference was held in April, 1866. 

By legal compulsion alone could we induce 
these clerical intruders and Church thieves 



rUOM THE SEAT OF WAll. 39 

to vacate our pulpits and let go their hold on 
our property. 

Such things are sickening to contemplate, 
and I turn away from the mention of them 
to the more agreeable pastime of recording 
for the present some army features and 
events, as brought to view, in part, while we 
were at Corinth. The messing arrangements 
among soldiers is truly an interesting spec- 
tacle — the breaking up of the companies into 
squads for cooking and eating purposes. 
The mess need not consist of any particular 
number of soldiers, and the principles of se- 
lection upon which it was formed were large- 
ly under the control of existing circum- 
stances. Sometimes it was much larger than 
at others, as when, from sickness, some mem- 
bers were at the hospital, or some had died, 
or some were on furlough, etc. Congenial- 
ity had much to do with the formation of a 
mess, in a general way, but the making of 
arrangements for securing a cook, and the 
necessities of the situation in regard to tents 
when there were any, oar location, the num- 
ber of absentees, etc., were controlling fac- 



40 SOME REBEL KELICS 

tors in their formation. We would organize, 
after a sort, by having one of number as a 
kind of leader to draw rations, superintend 
the cooking, etc.; that is to say, when Ave 
were in a condition to inaugurate a form 
and had a cook for the mess. On active 
campaigns, and as the army became depleted 
by sickness and death and the various cas- 
ualties of war, we simply dropped together 
in messes, few or many, as the exigencies 
of our surroundings indicated; and oftener 
cooking our own rations than having a hired 
cook to do so. 

Sometimes we were supplied with cooking 
utensils, and sometimes we w^ere not. For 
a long time, in some of the stages of the 
war, we baked our bread on an old broken 
piece of flat iron that we had picked up 
among the rubbish of a town near our en- 
campment, and cooked our meat (beef) by 
holding it to the fire on a stick or ramrod; 
and not unfrequently we were put to the ne- 
cessity of baking our bread in the ashes. 
We usually had some kind of tin, good or 
indiflPerent, to make up the dough in, but we 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 41 

sometimes had to use hickory bark peeled off 
in large pieces for that purpose, and would 
right often cut out a tray in the top of a log. 

Among our cooking utensils mention must 
be made of the frying pans that we made by 
bursting open Yankee canteens, which we 
would hold over the fire by slipping the edge 
of the half canteen into the split end of a 
stick, which served as a handle. These can- 
teens were made of two concavo-convex tin 
plates, fastened together around their edges, 
and which could easily be blown open by 
putting a little powder in them and igniting 
it. We wo.uld only thus destroy the can- 
teen as such when it began to leak, for we 
needed all the canteens we could get for car- 
rying water, and then we would use the side 
that did not leak for a frying pan. This 
utensil was especially adapted for making 
cush in out of our bread when it was too old 
to be good eating otherwise; and our cush 
was so palatable at times that we would de- 
clare that we were going to live on cush al- 
together when we got home from the war. 

My first messmates after reaching Corinth 



42 SOME REBEL RELICS 

were Dr. Isaac F. Delgney, Eichard Coleman, 
Peter Beasley, Charles O. Shephard, and 
Thomas Jones. I was taken sick on the eve 
of leaving Corinth, and when I rejoined the 
command at Tupelo shortly afterward, June 
10, I made this note in my diary: "I am 
quite saddened to find that all of my mess- 
mates have gone off sick to the hospital, and 
I have to fall in with others of my friends." 
Jones, not being able for duty, was dis- 
charged at Corinth. Ed Fletcher and per- 
haps some one else had been added to our 
mess before leaving there. At Tupelo W. 
G. Whitfield and W. P. Cockrill became my 
permanent messmates, other friends being 
in with us a great deal of the time. But we 
three ate and slept together many days and 
nights. The last named, my brother-in-law, 
and yet a boy, came to the regiment Avhile 
in camp at Tupelo, Wednesday, June 18, 
1862, and that day was sworn into the serv- 
ice and joined my company. 

As to the washing of clothes, which may 
as well be mentioned in this connection, we 
were often put to considerable straits for 



FROM THE SEAT OF AVAP.. 43 

lack of suitable vessels, but usually tliere 
were negroes enough along with us as cooks 
to do the washing at some citizen's house or 
borrow vessels and wash in carnp Avhen Ave 
had none of our own. When there was no 
other chance, we would take our soiled clothes 
to the creek and get out what dirt we could 
with cold water. I made one effort of this 
kind, but the garment looked w^orse soiled 
after it Avas w^ashed than it did before, and I 
never repeated the undertaking. With the 
best facilities for washing that we had in 
camp and on the march, it was simply im- 
possible for us to have clean clothes as of- 
ten as needful, and we wore soiled garments 
a great deal. Remembering that we spread 
our pallets (blankets) at night on the ground, 
that we lay down on the ground to rest when 
on the march, that w^e often fought lying 
on the ground, that we marched in mud and 
dust, that we worked on fortifications and dug 
rifle pits, etc., the w^onder is that we could 
keep our clothing at all clean. 

Owing to recent rains there w^ere many lit- 
tle wet weather branches, affording us a good 



44 SOME KE13EL llELICS 

supply of water when our regiment first 
reached Corintli; and Vhen the little streams 
ceased to run, the ground was still saturated 
with water, so that we could dig little holes 
anywhere and have springs, as w^e called 
them. After awhile, however, the ground 
began to dry out, and water became very 
scarce and very bad. There was much sick- 
ness before we left there, many soldiers hav- 
ing to be sent off to the hospitals. We grew 
weary of the place, and it was without any 
regret on the part of any of us that we re- 
ceived orders to leave there, taking our de- 
parture May 29, 1862. 

"We knew not then that we would return 
in the fall to take part in the battle of Cor- 
inth October 3, 4. On the second day of that 
battle the Thirty-fifth Alabama Regiment was 
formed on the identical ground upon which it 
was encamped before leaving there in May. 
AYhen the army was put in motion for the 
second day's engagement, an impression came 
upon me (a mere apprehension perhaps) that 
I would fall that day in battle, and I thought 
of wife and my two little boys, one of them 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 45 

having been born soon after m}^ enlistment 
and the death of our little Loulie, and deliv- 
ered to Brother Wilson, our chaplain, a mes- 
sage for her. I knew that a cloud of gloom 
would rest upon her if I were slain, but I 
knew that I could somewhat comfort her 
and my older boy, who could then under- 
stand such things, with a message from the 
field ere I fell, the substance of which was 
that I was perfectly ready to meet my God 
in peace, and that I expected that she and 
the children would join me in the better 
world. I was not slain, but Brother Wilson, 
who had never seen my family, kept the mes- 
sage in mind until he had an opportunity of 
delivering it. "While I was pastor of the 
Antioch Circuit, Tennessee Conference, in 
1875, he greatly surprised me one summer 
day by walking into the parsonage. He was 
a most welcome visitor in our household. 
Having introduced him to my wife, I asked 
him to be seated. "I have a messaofe for 
you, Sister Goodloe, which I will first deliv- 
er," said he, " and then I will sit down." In 
a most feeling manner he spoke of the inter- 



46 ^SOME REBEL RELICS 

view be and I had on the eve of battle, and 
delivered the message-wbich I bad given him 
for wife in the event I were slain. Of course 
we wiped the tears from our eyes then. 

It was never my misfortune during the 
war to be an inmate of a hospital, a place for 
which I bad a decided horror, but I wouhl 
have been sent off to one with many other 
sick soldiers the day before Corinth was 
evacuated in May if Dr. Sanders, surgeon of 
the regiment, bad not forgotten that I was 
sick. I was lying sick in my tent, and knew 
nothing of what order bad been given in ref- 
erence to the sick until they were all gone 
and until the tents were being struck for re- 
moval and the wagons were being bitched 
up. The command also bad received orders 
to fall in and march to the front. For a mo- 
ment a sense of solitude came over me, which 
was painful indeed. Applying to Col. Kobert- 
sou, I got permission to get in the surgeon's 
wagon, which, with the rest of the wagon 
train, w^as going to the rear, and which 
moved southward on the Kossuth road as the 
mand went northward to the front, the Yan- 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 47 

kees being in that direction, and not far off. 
Dr. Sanders, seeing that I was too sick to 
travel in this way, advised me to stop in at a 
house on the road and take the best care of 
myself that I could. Five miles from Cor- 
inth, and just across Tuscumbia Creek, I 
came to a house which had an attractive ap- 
pearance, and asked of the owner permission 
to stop with him. He did not hesitate to 
take me in, but let me know that he Avas pre- 
paring to take his family farther south. 
Upon forming the acquaintance of the fami- 
ly I found that I was among the near rela- 
tives of my wife, and as generous-hearted 
people as it is possible to be. Capt. Allen, 
of the Confederate service, whose com- 
mand was captured at Donelson, was my 
host, and he was also my w^ife's first cousin 
by marriage, his wife being the daughter of 
William Rose, who lived near Pulaski, Tenn. 
Mrs. Allen's younger sister Avas staying with 
her, and Avas the Avife of Col. Fields, of Ma- 
ney's old regiment. The family completed 
arrangements May 30 to moA^e to Col. Buch- 
anan's, in some Avay related to them, living 



48 SOME REBEL RELICS 

fourteen miles above Aberdeen, and they took 
me along with them,* making me perfectly 
comfortable on the trip and carefully looking 
after my every want. At Col. Buchanan's 
the same generous hospitality was shown me 
that I had received at the hands of the noble 
family who had bi'ought me there. My im- 
jDrovement was steady, and in a few days I 
reported to my command. In my heart I 
praised God for the kind j^rovidence which 
gave me into the care of those who so readi- 
ly and so heartily ministered to me, and in- 
voked the benedictions of heaven upon them 
all; which also I inscribed in my diary. 

What would have been the result if I had 
been placed in an ambulance at Corinth and 
sent oif to the hospital, then situated at Oko- 
lona, cannot be known, but many Avho did go 
there never recovered, because the attention 
could not be shown them that was necessary 
in their cases. There was perhaps no inten- 
tional neglect of sick soldiers in the hospi- 
tals, but there was at times a measure of cul- 
pable carelessness, and there were more 
patients in some of the hospitals than the 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 49 

medical attendants could well look after. 
This was the only case of sickness with me 
during the war that took me from my com- 
mand, except a brief attack of hemorrhoids 
while on the Big Black, when I stopped with 
Col. Love, near Canton, whose wife was the 
daughter of my uncle, Rev. David S. Goodloe. 
Here, of course, I was as one of the family, 
and had every needful attention shown me. 
I felt that I was taking bilious fever, which 
Avas my disease at Corinth, when we were in 
the act of leaving Port Hudson, and had 
much fever while on the march, but I deter- 
mined to keep on foot as long as I could, 
and did so until I was well. Twice I had se- 
vere attacks of the army flux, as it was called, 
but refused to stop, and cured myself while 
doing duty. I had about as much horror of 
a hospital as I had of a Yankee prison, and 
Avas determined to keep out of them both if 
possible; and I never had the bad luck to be 
in either one. Many a noble Confederate 
soldier went to the grave from both these in- 
stitutions who would not have died had he 

been elsewhere. 
4 



50 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

An amusing incident occurred with a sick 
soldier of my company who was sent to the 
hospital at Okolona. He believed that he 
was sent there to be cured, but the first 
sight which greeted his eyes upon reaching 
there was a room seemingly full of coffins, 
and a number of workmen busily engaged in 
making more. At once he w^as overcome 
with the impression that greater ^Dreparations 
were being made to bury soldiers than to 
cure them, and summoning all the strength 
that remained in him, he walked away from 
the hospital instead of into it when taken 
out of the ambulance. He found a private 
family not far from town who cared for him 
in their home until he recovered. It was 
with him like it is with some people on a 
lofty elevation, that feel possessed of a kind 
of suicidal mania to jump off; upon seeing 
those coffins he felt impelled to die and be 
buried in one of them, and it frightened him 
away from the place. 

But why were those coffins in sight of the 
sick and wounded soldiers who were carried 
to the hospital? This suggests the state- 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 51 

ment of the humiliating fact that not all 
those who had the oversight of soldiers need- 
ing medical attention were in sympathy with 
them, and willing to take the pains that were 
necessary for their comfort and cure. Just 
think of exhibiting a coffin factory to a pa- 
tient upon his entering the hospital ! Though 
strictly in the fighting department, I had 
much to do with the sick first and last, being 
myself a graduate in medicine, and was en- 
abled to see with my own eyes that those in 
authority were often extremely careless of 
their Avell-being in any sense. In several in- 
stances I have had to withstand very decid- 
edly and defiantly those who were over me 
in rank, because of their injustice, as I saw 
it, to the sick, in not allowing them such 
privileges as w^ere needful for their improve- 
ment, and in having them under suspicion as 
pretending to be sick to get off duty. With 
some officers, unworthy of course of the po- 
sition which they held, a sick soldier w^as 
about on a par with a sick hog. I had per- 
sonal knowledge, and noted it in my diary 
at the time, of a colonel attending the sur- 



52 SOME BEBEL RELICS 

geon's call of his regiment as a detective, to 
find out who were the '' play-outs/' and to 
see that the surgeon w^as not too liberal in 
excusing men from duty, as though he was 
competent for such a self-imposed task as 
this. His heartlessness and presumption 
w^ere made apparent, and he brought upon 
himself the contempt of those who had 
knowledge of his conduct. 

But the w^ell-being of sick soldiers was not 
always disregarded by those whose business 
it was to look after them, and often they were 
taken in hand and tenderly cared for by those 
wdio were not connected with the army. 
There is no telling the number of good wom- 
en, not to speak of men not in the service, 
who came into our camps and hospitals, and 
carried to their homes sick and wounded sol- 
diers, giving them the best possible attention 
until their recovery or death. And I must 
believe that as a rule Confederate officers 
were ready to do all that they could, and 
W' ith hearts of sympathy, for the good of the 
disabled of their commands from sickness or 
wounds. But in the holiest cause unworthy 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 53 

men sometimes wear the insignia of anthority, 
and often to its great hurt. It may as well 
be stated also that it was not altogether un- 
common for some in the ranks to feign sick- 
ness in order to get off fatigue duty or keep 
out of battle. Patriotism did not move all 
in any position to meet all the demands of 
duty. Neither is the Church of God com- 
posed altogether of loyal members. 



CHAPTER III. 



TO trace the course of that part of the 
Confederate army with which the Thirty- 
fifth Ahibama Eegiment was connected aft- 
er the evacuation of Corinth, May 29, 1862, so 
as to bring its journeyings and encampments 
as clearly to view as possible in their consecu- 
tive order, it must necessarily be done in as 
fcAV words as possible. Much must be left 
unsaid, therefore, for the time being, connect- 
ed with those movements, army life, etc., to 
be tokl hereafter, in part at least. To follow 
up this army is to get a somewhat intelligent 
idea of the spirit with which the Confederate 
soldier was possessed when he took up arms 
against Lincoln's invaders; for who in the 
world does not know that Lincoln brought on 
the war between the States? 

From Cornith, after its evacuation the date 
above given, the army was marched back to 
Tupelo, Miss., wdiere it remained until Thurs- 
day, June 19, From Tupelo it marched 

(54) 



SOME llEBEL RELICS. 55 

across to Abbeville, on the Mississippi Cen- 
tral railway, where it took the train, June 26, 
for Yicksburg, via Jackson, reaching there 
the night of June 28. Sunday, July 27, 
the Thirty-fifth Alabama Regiment, as part 
of the force ordered to Baton Eouge, left 
on the train for that place, going by way 
of Jackson, and quitting the railroad at 
Tangipahoa. Returning from Baton Eouge 
after the battle there, August 5, the troops 
marched back to the railroad at Tangi- 
pahoa, and there took the train for Jack- 
son August 28, where they arrived at 8 
o'clock that evening. The command left 
Jackson by rail Thursday, September 11, 
under orders to report to Gen. Yillipigue at 
Holly Springs, or beyond there, if he has 
gone farther, nntil Gen. Breckenridge shall 
arrive, and it goes on to Davis's Mills, a short 
distance from the Tennessee state line below 
La Grange, Tenn. Here we remained until 
September 27, except that we chased the 
Yankees pretty much all day September 21, 
running them into their fortifications at Bol- 
ivar, and returning to camp the next even- 



56 SOME REBEL RELICS 

iiig. The rascals had gone out on a foraging 
expeditionj stealing what they could from cit- 
izens, and we were trying to intercept them 
before they got back into their holes. Leav- 
ing Davis's Mills Saturday, September 27, the 
command marched toward Eipley, and pass- 
ing there we went on and on until we struck 
the enemy in their outer works at Cornith, 
October 3. After the engagement of the next 
day a second retreat from Cornith was begun 
in the evening, and the Confederate forces 
w^ere marched back to Holly Springs, thence 
to the mouth of Tippah, where we remained 
until November 30. From the mouth of Tip- 
pah we began a hurried retreat Sunday even- 
ing, ]^ovember 30, at 8 o'clock, and continued 
this movement until we reached Grenada, the 
Sunday following, having been several times 
hindered by the pursuing Yankees, whose 
pursuit we must pause to check. January 31, 
1863, we went on the train from Grenada to 
Jackson, where w^e remained until February 
11, when we began our march to Edwards' 
Depot, on or near Big Black River, and about 
fifteen miles west of Yicksburg. From here 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 57 

we started on the train, February 23, for Port 
Hudson, via Jackson, reaching Osyka the 
ne.xt evening, where we quit the train and 
marched on to Port Hudson. We arrived at 
Port Hudson March 3, and left there April 
5; and marching back to Osyka, w^e went 
from there on the train to Jackson, April 10. 
April 14 we took the train at Jackson for 
Tullahoma, Tenn., and reached Chattanooga 
April 18 at 6 o'clock in the evening, where 
the order was countermanded, and we were 
started the next day back to Jackson. 
Upon reaching Meridian, Miss., the night 
of April 23, we heard that the Yankees were 
making demonstrations of some kind in this 
region, and we remained here a few days to 
see after them. In the meanwhile a por- 
tion of the command, the Thirty-fifth 
Alabama Regiment fii-st, was sent down on 
the train to Enterprise to head off Grierson's 
Yankee raiders, and returned to Meridian. 
From here the command resumed its return 
trip to Jackson May 3, and reached there 
the next day. May 5 we went out on the 
train to Edwards' Depot. Much marching 



58 SOME KEBEL KELICS 

was clone, and in many directions, with many 
Btops also, in the Big Black region, so to 
speak, until the command was engaged in the 
battle of Baker's Creek, May 16, 1863. 
Late that evening, Gen. Loring, our division 
commander, declining to put his command 
in a trap at Vicksburg with the rest of Pem- 
berton's army, took us in a southeast direc- 
tion, and around by Crystal Springs, to pre- 
vent being captured, up to Jackson, to report 
to Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, who was said 
to be near Canton with two divisions of the 
Tennessee army. We went up to Canton on 
the train May 31, and June 5 the entire com- 
mand, then under Gen. Johnston, started on 
foot toward Vicksburg, in the hope, it is 
understood, of making a way of escape for 
Pemberton's army, now shut in there by 
Grant's Yankees. Again tliere was much 
marching and camping and maneuvering in 
the Big Black and adjacent regions, until 
Vicksburg fell, and our army retired to 
Jackson. Here there w^as almost constant 
fighting, on one part or another of the line, 
from July 9 to July 16. At 11 o'clock 



FROM THE SEAT OP WAK. 51) 

the night of July 16 we were waked up, 
those who were asleep, in a whisper, and 
began a noiseless eastward march along the 
line of the Southern railroad. Very soon, 
however, we began to make long stops, halt- 
ing mainly at Forest Station, Newton, and 
Morton. From Morton, where there were so 
many flies that we called it '' Camp Fly," we 
started back on foot to Canton at sundown, 
September 3, making a most disagreeable 
night march through rain and mud and 
Egyptian darkness, and reached there Oc- 
tober 2. AVe went on the train to Grena- 
da October 16 to check a Yankee raid, and 
returned to Canton the next day. The day 
following we marched down on Big Black 
to check another raid, and remained over one 
night, when we again returned to our camp 
at Canton. February 5, 1864, we left Can- 
ton, and after making a zigzag southward 
and eastward confusing march for a few 
days, Ave went forward to Demopolis, Ala., 
not without interruptions now and then by 
the detestable Yankees, and reached there 
February 18. From here, March 4, the 



60 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

Twenty-seventh unci Thirty-fifth Alabama 
Regiments, having received orders to go to 
I^^orth Ahibama for recruiting purposes, 
took up tlie line of march for the Ten- 
nessee liiver valley in that section of the 
state, their route being through Tuscaloosa 
and other towns along that way. From 
JN'orth Alabama these regiments were or- 
dered to Dalton, Ga., to meet again the army 
which they left at Demopolis, except some 
that were there mounted, and to become in- 
corporated into the Army of Tennessee under 
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. The Sherman- 
Johnston war here set in, and the Confed- 
erates fought and backed, and backed and 
fought, until Atlanta was lost. Then, having 
camped awhile at Palmetto Station, and hav- 
ing been reviewed by President Davis, they 
began their march for Tennessee under Hood 
September 29, 1864. Crossing the Tennessee 
Piver at Florence, Ala., after long marches 
and several minor engagements with Yankee 
garrisons, they went on to the slaughter at 
Franklin and at JSTashville. Out of Tennes- 
see retreated the fragments of as grand an 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAIl. Gl 

army as was ever marshaled on any field of 
battle, and marching across one corner of 
North Alabama, they went on to West 
Point, Miss. Remaining there but a few days, 
they took the train for Mobile February 1, 
18G5, reaching there the next morning. The 
day following they went on a boat to Tensas 
Depot, where they took the train for Mont- 
gomery, and from there onward, until they 
reached Midway, Ga., near Milledgeville, 
February 7, where the railroad gave out. 
Here they began their march at 2 o'clock 
the afternoon of February 11 for Mayfield, 
where they again took the train, February 14, 
for Graniteville, S. C, by way of Augusta. 
Leaving there February 16, they passed 
through JSTewberry, and having gone a day's 
march beyond this place they return to it and 
there took the train to Pomara. From there 
they marched through Union C. H., and on to 
Chesterville, where they again took the train, 
and passing through Charlotte, Salisbury, 
Greensboro, Raleigh, and Goldsboro, they 
reached Kinston, on Neuse River, at noon, 
March 9. Here they quit the train with the 



62 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

utmost promptness and marcliGcl forward 
four miles to the front,* where they took their 
position on the line with the army already 
there, to engage at once, and until after 
nio;-ht, in a heavy skirmish with the Yankees. 
The next day an assault was made on the 
enemy's works without carrying them by the 
Tennessee troops, with considerable suffer- 
ing on our part, for the purpose, we were told, 
of diverting their attention from Hoke's Di- 
vision, which was in danger of being cap- 
tured by them. It seemed that Gen. Hoke 
had undertaken to make a flank movement 
on the enemy, which was about to issue in 
the loss of his division. March 10 the army 
retired from the front after dark to one mile 
above Kinston, and the next morning it was on 
the march regularly, and fell back through 
Goldsboro and on to Smith field. Saturday, 
March 18, leaving Smithfield, they took a 
southeast course, and after marching about fif- 
teen miles, went into camp near Bentonville; 
and the next day, having gone about two 
miles forward, they encountered the enemy, 
and the battle of Bentonville was fought, in 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 63 

which the Confederates were eminently vic- 
torious. After this battle, and on the night 
of March 21, our army fell back a short dis- 
tance toward Smithfield, and the next day 
began a leisurely retreat in the same direc- 
tion. Back and back it slowly moved, tak- 
ing time along the route to rest, consolidate, 
etc., until Greensboro was reached, where it 
w^as surrendered to Sherman April 26, 1865. 
A few days before the army reached 
Greensboro I procured a transfer to the 
Trans-Mississippi Department, and started 
there from Hillsboro; so that I was not sur- 
rendered with the others of the command 
with which I had heretofore been connected. 
I reached Meridian, Miss., May 9, where I 
first learned positively of our overthrow^, and 
so determined to turn my face toward home. 
Yankee officers were there giving paroles, but 
I went on to ]!!^orth Alabama, and on May 20 
I rode from Uncle Robert A. Goodloe's down 
to East Port, on the Tennessee River, and 
just across the line from Alabama into Mis- 
sissippi, and there got my parole. In mak- 
ing application for axlmission into the John 



64 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

L. McEwen Bivouac, ^o. 4, at Franklin, 
Tenn., in 1890, 1 stated that I was paroled at 
Meridian, remembering at the time that the 
Yankees were there giving paroles when I 
reached there May 9, and forgetting that I 
had gone to East Port to procnre one. May 
25, 1865, 1 reached my home in Wilson Coun- 
ty, Tennessee, my family having returned 
there after finding that it was as safe to do 
so as it was to remain in ISTorth Alabama. 

My route to Meridian, where I expected 
to find out the best place to cross the Mis- 
sissippi River, was out of ]N"orth Carolina into 
South Carolina, and on to Augusta, Qa. 
From there I went to Atlanta, and then aci'oss 
Alabama in as direct a line as I could go for 
safety, and with an eye to as much railroad 
traveling as possible. Much track was torn 
up in places by Yankee raiders, and many 
bridges were burned, but I got a good deal 
of riding on disconnected pieces of road here 
and there, sometimes on a hand car and 
sometimes on the train ; I had, however, 315 
miles of walking to do. From Meridian I 
went up on the train to Luhatten Station, 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. G5 

near Rev. Simon Sykes's plantation, wlierc 
I had a horse, which I rode home, crossing- 
the Tennessee River at Florence and taking 
the most direct route from there. 

That portion of the army surrendered at 
Greensboro, which had been in the Georgia 
and Tennessee campaigns, first under John- 
ston, and then under Hood, was an exceed- 
ingly diminutive fragment of that once su- 
perb army which had been, while under 
Johnston in Georgia, the terror and admira- 
tion of Yankee Gen. Sherman, who, though 
gradually pushing it back toward Atlanta 
by a much larger army, saw but too plainly 
for his own comfort and that of his govern- 
ment that his forces were being constantly 
worsted, and that it was only a question of 
time wdien Johnston with his gallant Confed- 
erates would hnrl him hnrriedly back over 
the road of his invasion, or demolish him al- 
together. In the consolidation which was 
made a short time before the surrender it 
was shown that there were not men enough 
left in some regiments to make a full com- 
pany, or indeed half a company in some in- 
5 



G6 ^'^^OME IlEIiEL KELICS 



stances; and there were companies in which 
scarcely a '^corporal's gnard" was left, and 
some had entirely vanished. Of my own 
company there remained but two or three 
men besides myself, and indeed part of the 
time in that last JSTorth Carolina campaign I 
was entirely alone. When the army was con- 
solidated there was quite a number of officers 
left without commands, and being myself 
of that number, I thought to transfer to the 
Trans-Mississippi Department, in the hope 
that the Western army, by being strength- 
ened, could withstand the invaders until 
our prospects for freedom would brighten. 
Indeed, I had an idea then that instead of 
surrendering the army in North Carolina, it 
should have been carried westward, if possi- 
ble; and if not possible, that it should have 
been disbanded with orders for each soldier 
to make his w^ay as best he could to one of 
the Western armies. But " Uncle Joe " 
(Gen. Johnston) said surrender, and of 
course that was the right thing to do under 
the circumstances as they then were. Any 
army begins to lessen in the very nature of 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAll, G7 

things from the time almost of its enlist- 
ment, unless it is constantly recrnited, owing 
to the unavoidable casualties, from many 
causes, incident to warfare; but when one 
has to pass through what ours did under 
Hood the decrease in numbers cannot but be 
rapid and immense. 

There would, however, have been more 
men with our army after Hood brought it out 
of Tennessee had it not been for its speedy 
removal by raih'oad from ISTorth Mississippi, 
where it paused awhile, over the long route 
it had then to take to reach Eastern ^orth 
Carolina, making it next to impossible for 
the soldiers that were behind to overtake it 
soon, the interruptions to transportation be- 
ing very great in those days. It was un- 
avoidable that many were left behind, and 
they were as true men as those that went for- 
ward. Besides those that were wounded, 
many were compelled by sickness to drop 
out of line for the time being, having suffered 
great exposure in severe weather while in 
Tennessee; Aveariness from unusually hard 
service on the field and on the march had ex- 



68 SOME REBEL RELICS 

hausted the strength of some, so that they 
were compelled to pause and rest wherever 
they could; barefooted and ragged were not 
a few of onr best warriors in the winter 
winds and snows, and they must go out of line 
to hunt up clothing and shoes, which the quar- 
termasters had not to give them; and finally, 
there were those whose spirits were just then 
broken in a measure by the conspicuously 
reckless and suicidal policy of Gen. Hood, in 
whom they had lost all confidence, in his 
methods of conducting campaigns and wag- 
ing battle, who determined to call a halt un- 
til a change in the conduct of army affairs 
should take place of such a nature as to en- 
courage again their hope, however faint, of 
success. True men, all of them, I repeat, 
and worthy to the last of the gray that they 
wore. 

It was indeed the ruin of the Army of Ten- 
nessee Vvhen President Davis put Gen. Hood 
in command of it as the successor, and after 
the removal without cause, of Gen. Joseph 
E. Johnston, the best of all the Confederate 
generals in our estimation. A gloom came 



FlIOM THE SEAT OF WAll. GO 

over US when that change of commanders 
was made, which foretokened the ruin that 
was to follow. At sundown, July 18, 1804, 
while on the line in front of Atlanta, we re- 
ceived Johnston's farewell note and the an- 
nouncement that Hood was his successor, and 
we were like those who had lost their father. 
''Boys, we are orphans now," was the lam- 
entation that was upon the lips of us all, 
as we collected in groups around our camp 
fires that night to talk of the misfortune 
that had befallen us. Our admiration for 
Hood w^as without bounds while in the po- 
sitions he had formerly occupied, but it was 
impossible for us to hold him in the honor 
which may have been his due when he suf- 
fered himself to be made a seeming party to 
the injustice done his predecessor by Presi- 
dent Davis, and to be placed in a position, at 
a most critical moment, which Johnston was 
the only officer in the army capable of filling. 
We were in the midst of one of the most 
magnificent campaigns ever conducted by 
any general, the fruits of which we were in 
the act of grasping, when the strange and de- 



70 "^^-^OME KEBEL RELICS 

pressing ticUng's reached ns that the master 
spirit who so grandly and effectively con- 
ducted it must be removed, and his place 
be filled by one who, though a good man, 
could not possibly compass intelligently the 
situation in all its details and merits at such 
a junctare as then existed. 'Not only did we 
feel like orphans then, but it took much ef- 
fort to shake loose from the despondency 
which crowded itself upon us in regard to 
the final outcome of our struggle for inde- 
pendence. Hood's long battle order issued 
upon his taking command, in which he 
aimed to stir us up to unusual exhibitions of 
courage, and to impress us (so it seemed) 
that he was the man for the occasion, did not 
improve our feelings, nor inspii-e us with 
hope for the success of his method of war- 
fare therein indicated. All fell into line, 
however, at his command, and engaged with 
all their might, in all the departments of dut}^, 
in the campaign which he conducted until 
its terrible miscarriage at Franklin and 
Nashville. 

Those who are acquainted with army af- 



PlIOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 71 

fairs in the clays of the Confederacy know 
perfectly well that the army as it was under 
Johnston, prior to his being superseded by 
Hood, was in the most buoyant of spirits, 
happy, hopeful, and confident of ultimate 
success; and the troops heartily believed 
that they could whip Sherman's Yankees in 
an open field fight. They were falling back 
by degrees, but they knew that that meant 
disaster to Sherman sooner or later, and they 
were whipping him in detail, by corps and 
divisions, every time they joined battle with 
him. Instead of our men becoming weary 
of the campaign, they were more and more 
interested in it, and an improvement was 
going on in the army all the time. Soldiers 
who were absent on account of wounds, sick- 
ness, or other cause were hurrying to the 
front as soon as they were able to do so, thus 
keeping our ranks well filled up and in- 
creasing in numbers. 

Johnston was restored to command just 
before the battle of Bentonville, but he had 
then only a few fragments of his old army, and 
it was too late for him to build it up to any 



72 SOME REBEL KELICS 

formidable proportions. The troops that re- 
mained were rejoiced beyond measure at his 
return to them, and had the good fortune, un- 
der his leadei'ship, to give Sherman's Yan- 
kees, whom they had whipped so often in 
Georgia, one more effectual beating, over in 
North Carolina, before the curtain fell. 
Had not the end been so near at hand, John- 
ston would have built up another formidable 
army before a great while. But the end had 
come, alas! alas! 

I kept my parole while it served me pro- 
tection from the victorious and vicious 
Yankees, and then I burned it to pre- 
vent my posterity from having this evidence 
that I had surrendered to the invaders of our 
Southland. Indeed, I would not have sur- 
rendered if I had been without a finnily, and 
if I had been able to have reached some 
other country. Any government on earth 
was preferable v>^ith me to Yankee rule then. 
Quite a number of Confederates did go to 
other countries rather than surrender; and 
although most of them, I suppose, returned 
sooner or later, there were some w^ho re- 



FJIOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 73 

main eel permanently abroad. The sense of 
humiliation and disgust that was exj)erienced 
by the surrendered Confederates cannot be 
uttered. The thought of laying down our 
arms, which had enabled us so long to bid 
defiance to the despicable iuvaders, with the 
prospect of hereafter having to submit to 
their dictation in all governmental affiiirs, 
was oppressive in the extreme. 

Though passing through such experiences 
as these as he gave up an undertaking which 
was dearer to him than life, the Confederate 
soldier, nevertheless, maintained unflagging- 
ly to the last his self-respect and pride of 
character. His nobility was never surren- 
dered. Although overcome and disappoint- 
ed and gloomy, his convictions and man- 
hood remained. This infuriated, and still 
does, the great mass of our enemies, whose 
business it was, and is, to stamp out of us 
every vestige of freedom. Though still in 
pursuit of us Avith their hellish anathemas, 
the true ex-Confederate, with majestic bear- 
ing, goes steadily forward in the persistent 
maintenance of his unsullied manhood. 



74: SOME KEBEL KELICS 

As touching' our feelings when the neces- 
sity of surrender was* made known to us, the 
following composition of a Missouri sol- 
dier, which was given me by Miss Mary 
Cherry just after the war, gives expression, 
in its allusions to the Yankees and our con- 
dition, to the sentiments that obtained in all 
our breasts: 

A Missourian's Feelings before the Surrender. 

Who cau portray the deep disgust 

Missourians feel on being told 
To trail their banner in the dust, 

Lay down their arms, and be paroled. 

Yield to the Yankees ! O the thought 

Thrills madly through my 'wildered brain ! 

Give up the cause for which we've fought, 
And humbly be base slaves again. 

March backward through this land of flowers. 
All dotted o'er with bloody graves, 

Again to seek our Western bowers, 
And tell our mothers we are slaves. 

Thank God, my father does not live 

To witness thus his son's return: 
'T would cause his proud old heart to grieve, 

His aged cheeks with shame to burn. 



FKOM THE SEAT OE WAK. 75 

He sleeps within his native state, 

Where Stonewall Jackson wrote his name, 

Where Kobert Lee succumbed to fate, 
But kept his honor and his fame. 

My mother's locks with grief are gray, 
And mine are too with toil and strife; 

I go to smooth as best I may 

Her pathway down the hill of life. 

I know she'll cheer me all she can. 

And say now all regrets are vain. 
But can I smile while Dixie's land 

Groans 'neath the despot's iron chain? 

Dear land of sunshine and of flowers, 

We yet would gladly die for thee, 
If this last bloody act of ours 

Could make thy noble people free. 

.We to our trust have e'er been true. 

We've fought on every battlefield, 
We've done what brave men ever do, 

And now, perforce, we can but yield. 

To-morrow's sun that lights the world 
And gilds old ocean's rolling waves 

Will beam onYankee flags unfurled 
Above surrendered Southern braves. 

In this dark hour, when hope's last ray 
Has sunk 'neath sorrow's gloomy wave, 



^ 



76 SOME REBEL RELICS 

Come, comrades, let us kneel and pray 
Beside our nation's honored grave. 

We'll weep as the survivors weep 

Of a wrecked bark that's homeward bound, 

Who feel 'tis wrong that they don't sleep 
In the same grave their bark has found. 

'Tis hard to leave this land of flowers, 

For which we've fought for these long years. 

How dark appear life's coming hours. 

When hearts and hopes are drowned in tears! 

I now must yield to Yankee laws. 

Yet this shall be my life's proiid boast: 

I gave my best years to the cause 
That I love yet, although 'tis lost. 

But was it not best for lis and our poster- 
ity that we failed in the permanent establish- 
ment of our Confederacy? If the Lord 
willed it thus, it was best, but the divine 
ordering is not always comprehended by our 
dull understanding. We buried all hope of a 
Confederacy when we ceased to fight for it, 
knowing full well that our opportunity for 
its establishment was forever lost, but we 
did not believe that we had bettered our con- 
dition when we turned over our guns to the 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAll. 77 

Lincoln government; and what has trans- 
pired since that gloomy day to induce us to 
undergo a change of mind on that subject? 
As to the effect that slavery would ulti- 
mately have had in weakening the Southern 
Confederacy need not enter into our con- 
templations, inasmuch as ours was a land of 
statesmen, as well as of soldiers, fidly capa- 
ble, in the course of time, of solving that 
question, perhaps by the gradual emancipa- 
tion of the slaves by the government, and 
paying their owners for them. But we ac- 
cept the situation, and are willing that by- 
gones shall be bygones, if only the Radicals 
of the l!^orth will let it be thus. 



CHAPTEE lY. 



WE conlidently believed that the death of 
Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston on the 
field of Shiloh was one of the few potent fac- 
tors in the loss of our independenee as a na- 
tion, but we regarded the removal of Gen. 
Joseph E. Johnston from the command of 
the department and army of Tennessee, and 
the appointment of Hood as his successor, as 
the prime cause of our overthrow. We were 
sure that if he had been left in command 
Abe Lincoln would have soon called off his 
war dogs. And it was understood among 
the soldiers that President Davis was re- 
sponsible for his removal. We also believed 
that he knew perfectly well, and sanctioned, 
the campaign upon which Hood entered Avhen 
he came into command upon Johnston's re- 
moval. He came to our army after the re- 
moval of Johnston, and reviewed it in con- 
nection with Hood as we were about to begin 

our march toward Tennessee. We easily 

(78) 



SOME KEIiEL KP:Lrcs. 79 

presumed that he was there at that particular 
time to assist in phmning and otherwise ar- 
ranging for that campaign; and he got no 
praise from the soldiers that I heard for be- 
ing with us on that occasion for such a pur- 
pose. Ilis presence inspired no enthusiasm 
in the army, speaking from my standpoint, 
and what cheers greeted him as he galloped 
along the road on the side of which, and 
fronting it, w^e stood, were mainly from res- 
pect to him as the head of our government. 
As he passed along many soldiers called out 
to him: " Take away Hood, and give us back 
Johnston! " 

Mr. Davis may have been greatly W' rouged 
by many of the soldiers, but there was a 
wide-spread impression among them in those 
days that he was not the man for the place 
he occupied in the stormy yeai's of our na- 
tional existence; and, holding him respon- 
sible for the removal of Johnston in front of 
Atlanta, they held him responsible for our 
downfall; since we believed that the ruin of 
our army under Hood destroyed our possiblity 
of freedom. He was, we may say, unani- 



^% 



80 ^OME REBEL RELICS 

mously elected President by the Southern 
people of our Confederate States of America; 
and at the time of the election all confided 
in him implicitly as a competent leader in 
the great emergency which was upon us; but 
it developed to the satisfaction of a great 
many, long before the war ended, that we had 
not found the man to head so gigantic and 
hazardous an enterprise as the one we were 
then engaged in. We regarded him as a 
great man in statesmanship and courage, and 
remembered that he had given to our armies 
some of the finest military chieftains that the 
world ever knew; but his war policy we re- 
garded as mistaken, and we were made to 
believe that at times his prejudices rather 
than his judgment controlled him in the re- 
moval and appointment of army officers. 
There were a number of officers who w^ere 
pretty generally denominated '^Davis's 
pets," and some whom, it was understood, 
he had a personal dislike for. His love for 
and devotion to the Southern Confederacy 
was never called in question by any one, and 
his readiness to put forth his mightiest ener- 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 81 

gies for its support could not be doubted in 
any quarter. 

Davis could not endure the thought of a 
Confederate army, however small, retiring 
before a Yankee army, however large. He 
believed that a handful of Kebels ought to 
whip a field full of Yankees whenever a 
chance to fight was offered. Surrender and 
retreat were not words to be found in his 
vocabukiry, and it never occurred to him 
until he w^as captured that the Southern Con- 
federacy would not endure. That he believed 
that something would occur, even in the very 
last moments, to save us from the fall which 
was then so manifestly imminent to a great 
many was evidenced by his ow^n statements. 
His retreat from Richmond, the capital of our 
Confederacy; the surrender of Lee; and the 
certainty of Johnston's early capitulation 
did not destroy his hope of the final triumph 
of the Confederate arms. I saw him April 
17, 1865, as he and his family were crossing 
the long bridge over the Yadkin River, 
North Carolina. I was lying down resting 

by the side of the railroad near the west end 
6 



82 ^^^ SOME REBEL RELICS 

of the bridge as he came walking on the 
bridge, his horse being led by a private sol- 
dier. It was a railroad bridge which had 
been floored for carrying over horses and 
wagons; the horses being loosed from the 
wagons and led over, and the wagons being 
pulled and pushed over by men. Mr. Davis 
stopped and received his horse from the sol- 
dier who had led him over in a few feet of 
where I was lying. After thanking the sol- 
dier for his kindness in a most hearty and 
gentlemanly manner, and seeming almost to 
apologize to him for trying to make his es- 
cape from the Yankees, he said: "I expect to 
be retracing my steps when you see me 
again, and it will not be long nntil I do so." 
Mr. Davis then went on to Charlotte, and 
made a speech to some of the citizens of that 
town, in which he said that we could hold out 
five more years against the Yankees. That 
was April 19, 1865. I did not hear the 
speech, but I was in Charlotte when it was 
made, and I received my information from 
perfectly reliable parties who did hear it. I 
think it was only a hasty speech of a few 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAII. 83 

words made to a rather small company that 
gathered around him as he rode into town. 
The gentleman at whose house I had stopped 
to have my rations cooked was present, and 
he came back home greatly pleased that onr 
resources were so much more abundant than 
he had supposed until he heard what Mr. 
Davis said. 

Hopeful to the last, it would seem, was 
our chieftain of the permanency of our gov- 
ernment, and yet hoping without hope in 
these expiring moments of its existence. 
But these statements of his have a strange 
sound taken in connection with the fact that 
he had but a few days before their utterance 
authorized Gen. Johnston to make what 
terms he could for the termination of the 
war, they having had a meeting at Greens- 
boro, where I saw Mr. Davis April 15 riding 
along the street in company with Gen. 
Breckenridge. While as President of our 
Confederacy and commander in chief of our 
armies he was in the best possible position 
to know our real condition, which he indeed 
recognized as hopeless, yet he seemed to be 



84 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

possessed of a kind of desperation of hope in 
the face of inevitable i'uin. 

For a long time before the Avar ended Mr. 
Davis had gotten the credit, though unjust- 
ly it may be, among the soldiers for sending 
abroad messages of hope to encourage them 
to endurance and courage when there was no 
sufficient ground always for such messages. 
^']!^ews from Kichmond," which was under- 
stood to be news from the President, w^as 
continually coming into camp to the effect 
that our disabilities of one sort and another 
were about to be removed, and our speedy 
triumph accomplished. As our troubles ac- 
cumulated and our condition became moi*e 
embarrassing these blessed tidings came 
more frequently to us, freighted with hope 
and cheer to those who believed them. For 
awhile they were very inspiring to us all, but 
as disappointment after disappointment came 
to us on account of not witnessing their reali- 
zation they became decidedly monotonous and 
a subject of jest and ridicule. They most 
frequently had reference to the interposition 
in one way or another of foreign powers in 



FKOM THE SEAT OF AVAR. 85 

oiu- behalf, a great fleet of Confederate gun- 
boats on the high seas, the breaking of tlie 
blockade of our ports, an uprising of South- 
ern sympathizers in the ]N"orth, etc. JNIr. 
Davis having gotten the credit among iis, 
which seemed to be pretty general, of giving 
these items of news to the army, it w^as con- 
jectured that he had acquii-ed the habit of 
seeing and speaking only of the hopeful in- 
dications that presented themselves to his 
mind, and that this is the explanation of his 
final utterances of hope. 

It is not intended to convey the idea that 
Mr. Davis, the soul of honor and of undispu- 
ted integrity, was a fabricator of rumors for 
helping forward the patriotism and chivalry 
of the army, but only to give, as army relics, 
such facts and impressions as came to us 
Avho w^ere at the front. Mr. Davis may have 
had nothing to do w^itli sending out these 
helpful reports to the soldiers, but many 
thought he did, and spoke freely of it. " I 
can fight the Yankees just as well, and a lit- 
tle better, without so much rallying in the 
way of flattering prospects which never ma- 



86 "^>o 



ME REBEL KELICS 



terialize, than with it," was a sentiment 
which often found e:s,pression. It is to be 
taken for granted that those reports that re- 
hited to our recognition by foreign powers, 
as well also as that of the blockade being 
broken, etc., were well founded, as our gov- 
ernment was carrying on, all the while, ne- 
gotiations with other governments, and the 
indications frequently were that so and so 
would come to pass which did not; but it 
was a great mistake to trumpet abroad what 
had not matured, and what, therefore, ought 
to have been kept strictly secret by the au- 
thorities of our government until the results 
desired had come to pass. Whatever may 
have been the real state of the case in regard 
to these matters, it was a great pity that the 
soldiers, if in error, were not made acquaint- 
ed with the facts, if there was any way that 
it could be done. 

Just here I will insert a report which, as 
chairman of the Historical Committee, I 
made to the John L. McEwen Bivouac, ISTo. 
4, Franklin, Tenn., in 1891, and which was 
headed " Speeches and Soldiers: " 



FllOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 87 

April 25, 1863, Gen. Loring's division 
Avas at Meridian, Miss., where it had paused 
a little on the return trip from Chattanooga, 
Tenn., to Jackson, Miss., Big Black, etc. 
We had recently been to Port Hudson, La., 
and were ordered from there to Tullahoma, 
Tenn.; but on reaching Chattanooga we re- 
ceived orders to return to Mississippi. About 
9 o'clock A.M. of the above date we received 
information that Grierson's Yankee cavalry 
Avere approaching Enterprise, on the Mo- 
bile and Ohio railroad, a short distance below 
Meridian, where there were government 
stores, railroad shops, etc. At once the Thir- 
ty-fifth Alabama Regiment was commanded 
to load guns and board the train for Enter- 
prise, expecting possibly to be attacked on 
the route, but hoping to get there before Gri- 
erson did. We beat him there, and, leaping 
instantly from the train, we double-quicked 
down a dirt road to a bridge near the town, 
which Grierson was also briskly approaching, 
but which we reached first. Col. Goodwin 
then commanded our regiment, and placed it 
in a good position to do much hurt to the Yan- 



88 SOME HEBEL IlELICS 

kee raiders; but Gricrson played off a ras- 
cally trick on him, and so made his escape. 
Grierson did not know we were there until 
we were just ready to 'Mjag" him; and, see- 
ing his imminent peril, threw up his white 
handkerchief as a flag of truce and asked for 
a parley with our colonel. The trick was 
but too palpable, and ought not to have been 
submitted to by Col. Goodwin; but the par- 
ley was allowed, and while it was going on, 
Grierson took in the situation more fully, 
and slipped his men out of the trap into 
Avhich most of them had come. The trick- 
ster put on a bold face and demanded the sur- 
render of the place; to which Col. Goodwin 
replied, asking two hours for consideration 
and the removal of women and children. 
Grierson was only too well pleased to accom- 
modate our colonel, and use those two hours 
for the furtherance of his own safety. The 
Twelfth Louisiana and Seventh Kentucky 
liegiments were expected on the next train 
to reenforce our regiment, but when they ar- 
rived the Yankee horsemen, who could gal- 
lop heroically (!) through an unprotected 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR, 89 

country, and call it a "great raid," had put 
themselves out of our reach. 

Having thus lost the opportunity to " bag 
our game," an army expression frequently 
used, we were put in chase after it, only to 
wear us down with fatigue and sore feet, for 
the Yankees were mounted and we were on 
foot; albeit they were pretending to make a 
stand every now and then, which we were ex- 
ceedingly anxious for them to do. We 
slept on our guns that night, not knowing 
but that we might need them before day; and 
all through the next day and until midnight 
following we were receiving information that 
Grierson was still hanging around, bent on 
capturing Enterprise, wdiich made it neces- 
sary for us to be in motion and on the look- 
out all the time. It was indeed a very tire- 
some expedition in which we were engaged, 
and not until the uight of April 28 did we 
quiet down and retire to our pallets for an 
undisturbed sleep. But just as the command 
were all soundly asleep, we were suddenly 
called up and ordered to "fall in." B}^ thus 
being aroused at night and put in readiness 



90 SOME KEBEL PtELICS 

for marching, we had no other thought than 
that the enemy were near at hand, and in a 
moment w^e were in line; but to our utter 
amazement and displeasure our colonel in- 
formed us that we were called np to hear a 
speech from Gen. Keuben Davis, a near 
kinsman of the President, who was at the 
hotel in Enterprise. 

Col. Goodwin was a brave, good soldier, 
but his tastes were more literary than milita- 
ry. He was a polished gentleman and high- 
ly educated, and had made considerable char- 
acter as a writer. lie expected a rare treat 
in hearing the speech of Gen. Davis, and 
supposed that we would thank him for afford- 
ing us the opportunity of hearing so distin- 
guished a speaker. 

Before leaving camp for the hotel where 
Davis was, which was not more than half a 
mile. Col. Goodvvin posted ns in all the 
points of good manners on such occasions, 
when and how we should call for Davis, 
etc. He admonished us very carefully that 
everything must be done decently and in or- 
der, so that Reuben, of the house of Davis, 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 91 

would not only recognize us as soldiers, but 
as gentlemen also. He let us know what or- 
ders he would give and what would be our 
position on the open space in front of the 
hotel, indicating also the maneuvers through 
which we would be carried before the final 
*'IIalt!" Upon halting he would give the 
command "Order arms!" whereupon he 
would call out immediately, " Davis! Davis! " 
and we were to take np the call at once, 
"Davis! Davis! Davis!" with a full chorus 
of voices. 

All went well with the Colonel until our 
time came to call for Davis. Some of us did 
as we were instructed, but others began to 
yell: "Come out of there, Reuben; I know 
you are in there! " " Get through as qnick 
as you can," said others; "we are all 
mighty sleepy." This seemed to annoy our 
colonel, but Davis appeared on one of the 
hotel balconies, and made his speech, which 
was maiuly made np of compliments to us 
and good news from Richmond. This "good 
news from Richmond " business in regard to 
our recognition by foreign powers, breaking 



92 SOME REBEL llELICS 

the blockade^ etc., bad become quite monoto- 
nous to the soldiers, and excited but little in- 
terest among them; and when Davis touched 
on those things a voice from the regiment 
cried out: " Tell us something new, General.^' 
He tald us, if I remember right, that France 
had certainly espoused our cause, and that a 
large fleet of French gunboats was nearing 
our shores to open every port of ours and 
demolish Yankee vessels. '^ Those are aw- 
ful slow boats, General; they have been on 
the way here ever since the war began, to my 
certain knowledge," shouted a voice from the 
regiment. It seemed evident that Col. Good- 
win and Gen. Davis became weary of the 
performance; the speech soon came to an 
end, and we were marched back to our camp 
to do what sleeping we could till morning, 
to our unspeakable relief. 

While near Demopolis, Ala., March 3, 
1864, our (Buford's) brigade was marched 
out into an old field to hear a speech of wel- 
come from Gov. Watts, of Alabama, into 
whose state we had just come. We were 
formally introduced to him bv Gen. Buford 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 93 

as he was ready to begin his speech. " How- 
dy, Governor; how are all your folks? " was 
the greeting which a number of voices gave 
him. It was indeed an eloquent speech that 
he gave us, and well suited to the occasion. 
He poured forth great torrents of eloquence, 
heroism and chivalry, as he tiptoed in his 
stirrups, for he spoke on horseback; having, 
however, at first extended to us a beautiful 
welcome into his state. The more he spoke, 
the braver he seemed to become; and it was 
only too phiin that his speech was moving 
himself more than his audience. In order 
to incite us to transcendent feats of despera- 
tion on the field of battle, he spoke of an in- 
cident which occurred in another depart- 
ment of the Confederate army. A daring 
and dashing color bearer was shot down 
in a furious charge; but the flag was in- 
stantly caught up by another soldier and 
waved in defiance of the Yankees, when 
he too received a death shot; then another 
and another and another did the same thing 
and met the same fate in quick succession, 
until there was no telling how many color 



94 ^^OME KEBEL RELICS 

bearers there were who fell thus in that 
charge, the heroism gf whom the Governor 
would have us emulate. " What a set of 
fools those fellows were! " rang- out from the 
mouths of several listening privates. And 
" We don't believe in putting our heads in 
Yankee cannons for the fun of having them 
shot out." This, at least, made it appear 
that the Governor's speech, though having 
much merit, was not the thing needed just 
then. These men whom he addressed, in- 
ured to hardships and dangers, had no ear 
for the civilian's bugle note. They were 
then performing a long march, having just 
w^alked from Canton, Miss., and were Aveary 
and foot-sore, and they felt that rest was a 
better nervine than a speech, though it be 
from a Governor. Had the enemy been 
near at hand and a battle imminent, a word or 
two from their commander might have been 
appreciated; but no amount of eloquence on 
general principles from one not in arms him- 
self did them any good. They felt that they 
were already better patriots in the most im- 
portant sense than those, unarmed, wdio 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 95 

would fire their patriotism, endurance, and 
courage. Be it said, however, that Gov. 
Watts made a very fine impression upon the 
brigade, and possibly he did not hear the un- 
appreciative voices that spoke out during the 
delivery of his speech; still there was a prev- 
alent idea that rest was preferable to listen- 
ing to a speech, and that it was out of 
taste for the speaker to undertake to stir up 
the bravery of men whose courage had al- 
ready been abundantly tested. 

At the opening of the war there was much 
and necessary speech making, but when men 
had fully learned war by hard experience, 
about the only speaking necessary were the 
orders from the officers in command to go 
forward in whatever was necessary in the 
defeat of the enemy. And even at the be- 
ginning of hostilities, though there were 
many soul- inspiring and patriotic appeals in 
the way of orations to bestir men into action 
against the invading foe, there Avere many 
harangues which w^ere too enthusiastic, if 
possible, and calculated to make us believe 
that war was but a pleasant pastime, a kind 



96 SOME iiebp:l relics 

of holiday recreation, when carried on with 
the Yankees. JSTnmbQrs of men, nnder the 
sndden impulse of daring- inspired by these 
speeches of fiery and flighty zealots, and be- 
lieving that it was a mere " breakfast spell " 
to crush out our Yankee hatei'S, rushed hur- 
riedly to the front, only to realize that our war 
was not only not a merry holiday frolic, but a 
most serious and terrific encounter, involv- 
ing hardness of service and untold suffering 
and slaughter, who, being overwhelmed 
presently with consternation, they had not 
the heart to endure. 'Not having bad a 
proper conception of what war was before 
engaging in it, there were many who were 
driven away by its horrors. The speech 
makers of the effervescent kind had told 
them that hunting Yankees was better fun 
than hunting squirrels, and they suddenly 
found, to their uncontrollable dismay, that 
they themselves were being hunted to the 
death. 

I recall a speech that I heard at McAVhir- 
tersville, six miles from iS'ashville on the 
Lebanon pike, in 1861, while the " Hermit- 



FIIOM THE SEAT OF WAU. 97 

age Guards," a company of the Twentieth 
Tennessee Kegiment, was being formed, in 
which we were told that the whites of the 
Yankees' eyes woukl be fine targets for Ten- 
nessee marksmen, and that tlieir squirrel 
rifles were as good army guns as they need- 
ed. It was at a time that the state govern- 
ment was calling upon the citizens to furnish 
such guns as they had that could be used for 
army purposes, we having gone to war with- 
out anything like a supply of guns. I had 
already furnished a large-bore Sharp's rifle 
and a double-barrel shot gun, which were 
capable of doing good service in good hands, 
but on hearing of the fun there would be in 
drawing a bead on the Avhites of Yankees' 
eyes, and having a long, small-bore rifle, for- 
merly the property of my father, and which 
he had had made for hunting squirrels with, 
I carried that into ISTashville at the earliest 
opportunity and turned it over to the govern- 
ment as an army gun, although I prized it 
very much as a kind of heirloom. Of course 
I threw away my rifle, it being altogether 

unsuited for the battlefield. 

7 



CHAPTER V. 



OURS being an infantry company, our 
movements, when not on foot, were by 
such means of transportation as the govern- 
ment would furnish for special emergencies; 
and with the exception of a small amount 
of steamboat travel, we were transported on 
railroads, the approximate extent of which 
has already been indicated. The govern- 
ment would charter for the time being the 
trains and boats that we would travel on. 
Our boat travel was almost altogether be- 
tween Selma and Montgomery, on the Ala- 
bama River; going first up the river from 
Selma to Montgomery, April 16 and 17, 1863, 
on the steamer " Le Grande," and then down 
the river from Montgomery to Selma, April 
21 and 22, on the steamer '' St. Charles." 
This was on our trip from Jackson to Chat- 
tanooga, and we returned over the same 
route. Only the lower decks of the boats were 

chartered for the soldiers, and they, as at all 

(98) 



SOME REBEL RELICS. 99 

other times, carried with them their own ra- 
tions drawn from the army commissaries. 
Only the officers were allowed to take pas- 
sage in the cabin, and they had to pay the 
steamboat clerk as other passengers do. 
Lnckily, and for a rarity, I had the money 
to take cabin passage, which comprehended 
such luxuries as soldiers w^ere not wont to 
enjoy: sitting on a chair, eating at a table, 
and lying on a berth. The noncommis- 
sioned officers and privates, called the " men," 
were commanded to stay on the lower deck, 
but they soon gave no heed to the order, and 
made themselves free and easy in all parts of 
the boat, and those who had the money to 
pay for meals would do so, and sit witli the 
regular passengers at the dinner table. The 
officers and men were too intimately associ- 
ated in the hardships of army life, and too 
much identified in their feelings, for an order 
like this to have permanent force, which, in- 
deed, meant no more than that the govern- 
ment had only contracted for our transpor- 
tation on deck. 

These two steamboat rides on the Alabama 



100 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

River were quite refreshing to most of us, 
although the men were too much crowded 
for lying down comfortably; altogether, 
however, it was a merry recreation that they 
enjoyed, owing largely to the mode of travel 
varying from what they had been accustomed 
to, and but for the night time spent on the 
river the rides would have been exceedingly 
exhilarating. 

On the same "round trip," so to speak, 
between Jackson and Chattanooga, we were 
transported from McDowell's Station to De- 
mopolis, on the Tombigbee River, and re- 
turned from the latter to the former place on 
the steamer " Marengo; " but that was only a 
ferrying arrangement of four miles distance. 
Also, on our final trip, when we were going 
from Mississippi to I^orth Carolina, we were 
taken in a steamer across Mobile Bay and 
up Tensas Bayou to Tensas Station to take 
the train. 

The traveling of soldiers on railroad trains 
was in some respects better than the marches 
we had to make, but in others it was not, and 
in no sense was it a luxury only insomuch 



FROM THE SEAT OF AVAIL 101 

as it afforded temporary relief to our feet, 
and an opportunity for seeing the towns and 
people along the route. It was impossible 
to find on any of the roads sufficient trans- 
portation in passenger coaches for a com- 
mand of any considerable size, and so we 
were put to the necessity of taking box and 
open cars, and it was even then needful that 
as many of us get on them as they could pos- 
sibly hold, loading the tops of the box cars 
as well as their inside. We generally had 
but little sitting room on the floors of the 
carS; and never, that I recall, could we all lie 
down at once. As to seats being furnished, 
that w^as out of the question. If many sol- 
diers were to be transported at one time, a 
number of long trains were loaded, and start- 
ed off in quick succession, one after another, 
just far enough apart to avoid running into 
each other. Frequently in making curves 
in an open country the tortuous movements 
of the whole line of trains, as seen from any 
one of the cars, presented a most picturesque 
appearance, as they wended their way in 
many directions thickly packed with soldiers 



102 SOME llEBEL RELICS 

without and within on the box cars, inter- 
mingled with flats on. which almost all the 
standing room was occupied. The trains 
were generally in sight of each other whether 
the road was straight or crooked, except 
where timber obstructed the view, and their 
movements were always interesting to look 
upon. 

By whatever mode of travel our armies 
moved we were always cheered by the citi- 
zens as we passed by residences or throngh 
towns, but when traveling on the railroads, 
we were enabled, our movements being rapid, 
to see more people and houses and towns, 
than we otherwise could, and we were there- 
fore more frequently greeted with the ap- 
plause of citizens than could be the case 
when we were marching through the coun- 
try. The enthusiasm of Southern women for 
the glorious cause for which we fought was 
made conspicuously manifest as we passed 
along, by their bright smiles, the waving of 
their handkerchiefs, and throwing flowers 
into our midst, and not unfrequently would 
they have ready and hand out to us articles 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAlt. 103 

of clothing and other comforts. 'No such 
women ever lived as those of our Southern 
Confederacy; and there was nothing left un- 
done by them, in their sphere, to help for- 
ward our hoped for freedom from the despot- 
ism which threatened us. On the part of 
the soldiers applause answered applause with 
the waving of hats on our part and such 
ringing yells as only a Confederate soldier 
was capable of. Those indeed were glad oc- 
casions; and every cheer we received, espe- 
cially from the women, put new purpose into 
our being to drive back the invading hordes 
if possible. 

Many accidents, necessarily, it might be 
said, occurred with these soldiers' trains; 
but it was sometimes the case, as we then 
believed, that trains were intentionally dis- 
abled or wrecked by parties running them, 
or in some other way connected with them, 
who were in sympathy with the enemy; Still 
it was only occasionally that there was loss 
of life by railroad accidents. On the long 
trip from West Point, Miss., to Kinston, 
N. C, we several times seemed barely to es- 



I04 SOME REBEL RELICS 

cape much destruction of life, but we got 
through without being overtaken by any 
such calamity. Possibly the engineers and 
other train men were all true men, but we 
felt it necessary a time or two to keep very 
close watch on some of them. It was as 
much in order then to wreck a train of sol- 
diers, and thus destroy their lives, as it was 
to kill them in battle, and we knew not but 
that some Yankee emissary might be at hand 
ready to deal out wholesale destruction to us 
in that way, if possible, by bribing trainmen 
or by any other method that he could. Yan- 
kee hate, Yankee ingenuity, and Yankee 
money were ever lavish in the accomplish- 
ment of our ruin, and there were masked 
traitors among us in various places, who were 
the cheap tools of our venomous foes to com- 
pass our overthrow by clandestine and dia- 
bolical means. To these the wrecking of a 
train of Southern soldiers would be a veri- 
table luxury, if only they could escape de- 
tection. These "home-made Yankees," as 
they were generally called, abounded in 
some places more than in others, and there 



FROM THE SEAT OP WAR. 105 

was a contempt for them on the part of the 
Southern patriot wliicli transcended that 
which was felt for the most odious of puri- 
tanical '' Down Easters." A typical ]N'ew 
England Yankee was the supreme object of 
Southern detestation until the ^'home-made 
Yankee " came into being, and made himself 
worthy of our intenser odium by his capaci- 
ty for lower forms of mischief among us 
than even the abolition intruder from the 
delectable land of wooden nutmegs. Had 
an ensrineer of one of our soldiers' trains 
been of this complexion it would certainly 
have been wrecked had not the fear of detec- 
tion deterred him from the adventure. 

" Forward, march ! " After the order 
"Fall in!" this was the command oftenest 
received, and on foot was our normal method 
of locomotion. This involved weariness ex- 
treme, and sore feet and corns without limit 
or stint. It had not impressed me until I 
was in the service that I would experience 
excessive weariness. Seeing companies of 
soldiers on the march before my enlistment, 
and before they had learned much of the 



106 ^^OME REBEL RELICS 

drudgery of that part of warfare, they all 
seemed to step togetjier as one man; and, 
without thinking particulai-ly of the matter, 
the idea was in my mind that such was the 
mutual support which they rendered one 
another that no individual soldier would be- 
come much tired. But weariness of every 
grade, even to the utter breakdown of ex- 
haustion, was the individual experience of al- 
most every soldier among us at some time or 
other. I marvel to this day that as many kept 
on their feet as did, as the vivid recollection 
of so many hard marches by day and by 
night comes to mind. 

As in all other particulars of army life, 
there was a great deal of difference among 
soldiers in regard to marching, so that after 
we had been on a march a few days some 
would straggle, while others would maintain 
their places steadily in the ranks; some would 
yield to weariness with much readiness, while 
others would with much determination resist 
it; some would continue to keep their guns 
in proper position, while others would carry 
them with such looseness as to inconvenience 



FllOM THE SEAT OF WAll. 107 

or strike those nearest them; some would 
give attention to their feet and keep them 
in good condition as long as possible, while 
others would neglect them from the start 
and soon have them smarting with sores — 
these, and other differences there were among 
infantry soldiers as they went trudging along 
on an extended march. Ordinarily we would 
march an hour and rest fifteen minutes, and 
when the command '' Rest ! " was given many 
would drop down on the ground instantly to 
get the full benefit of the rest time allowed 
us; some would remain on their feet most 
of the time, propping themselves with their 
guns or not as they were inclined; and some 
would go on a short ^^ foraging" expedition 
if there were any houses in sight. There 
were expert " foragers " (provision hunters) 
in our regiment, and possibly in every other 
regiment in the army — soldiers who could 
always find willing-hearted citizens to re- 
plenish their haversacks with something- 
good to cat. 

The money-making faculty belongs to 
some men in a preeminent sense, so that it is 



108 ^lOME REBEL RELICS 

said of them that they coukl make money if 
they were placed on ^ rock without any ap- 
parent facilities for doing so, and this same 
trait conspicuously characterized a number 
of our soldiers daring the war. They would 
manage to get hold of something to trade on 
or sell to the other soldiers. Some of them 
would hunt up whisky, with which they 
would fill their canteens, and sell it to those 
of their comrades who drank; some would 
find materials to make pies of, which they 
would get a good price for from their hungry 
comrades; and in a number of other ways 
money w^as made by those who had the fac- 
ulty for so doing. 

I sometimes bought pies from the pie 
makers, who w^ould carry them through the 
command on boards, crying out as they 
passed along, ^' Come up and draw your 
pies! " But I am not prepared to praise those 
pies to this day. Some of them were tolerably 
good if I ate them w^hen I was very hungry, 
but generally they were tough and tasteless 
in the extreme. '^ Fruit pies " they were 
generally called, and usually they did have a 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 109 

limited supply of dried fruit of some kind, or 
sweet potatoes, or pumpkin, unmixed with 
sugar, however, between the folds of unshort- 
ened pastry which constituted the top and 
bottom crusts of the pies. Sometimes the 
pie was called ^ pone; and the following re- 
ceipt for making i\ jjotato j^one was made out 
by a soldier and given to a young lady in 
North Alabama during the war: 

" One haversack full of flour, Avorked up 
with water alone into a stiff dough; one pot 
full of potatoes boiled about half done, and 
mashed up skin and all ; roll out the dough 
in different pieces about the size of a tin 
plate, and put a wad of the potato on each 
piece, which is then to be folded over the 
potato. Bake with all possible speed, burn- 
ing the bottoms of the pones considerably, 
and barely drying the upper crusts. Let 
them get cold before eating. These are ele- 
gant, and sell readily in camp for fifty cents 
apiece." 

On the march I made it an invariable rule 
to take all the rest that I could, and care for 
my feet in the best way possible to me; and 



110 ^ROME REBEL RELICS 

but for this established purpose and undevia- 
ting habit of mine iU would have been im- 
possible for me to have kept in my place as I 
did, which was almost constantly. A few 
times when the exhaustion of weariness was 
about to overwhelm me some horseman 
would be at hand and allow me the use of 
his horse until my strength returned. The 
surgeon and chaplain had horses, and with 
these officers I was always intimate, from the 
fact that I frequently assisted the former 
with the sick when we were in camp, and la- 
bored constantly with the latter in the reli- 
gious meetings. They would readily accom- 
modate me at any time and in any way that 
they could, but I preferred not to embar- 
rass them by asking favors of them which 
they could not grant to all, and so I would 
stay on my feet as long as strength remained 
to me to do so, and even then would not ask 
to ride, but only do so after a horse was 
earnestly tendered me. It was a very short 
distance — say two or three miles — that I 
rode either of the exceedingly few times that 
I enjoyed this luxury, having been able, by 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. Ill 

carefulness of my strength and feet, and in 
the good providence of God, to hold on my 
way with a constancy which seemed indeed 
to be beyond my powers of endurance. As 
soon as my feet gave me the slighest hint 
that a sore w^as going to be rubbed on them, 
I would begin to grease them with mutton 
tallow, always having them as free from dirt 
as it was possible for an infantry soldier on 
the march to do. The mutton tallow I found 
to be an admirable remedy when sores were 
threatened or after they were rubbed, and 
I managed to keep a small tin box of it with 
me all the time, which was furnished me from 
time to time by accommodating housekeepers 
on our line of march or adjacent to our camp. 
I w^ould nse it very liberally, both greasing 
thoroughly the inflamed places on my feet, 
and putting a thick coating of the suet on 
the inside of my socks where they touched 
the sores. This was done over and over 
again on some of our prolonged marches, and 
saved me from falling out by the way. 
Corns were formed on the bottoms of my 
feet which remain to this day, but I managed 



112 ^^OME REBEL RELICS 

to keep them softened on the march, so that 
tliey did not hurt nor Jiinder me to amount 
to much. There were many soldiers who 
had the flesh of their feet in places scoured 
oft' to the bone by their coarse, hard shoes, 
and yet onward they marched day after day 
to find the enemy, or to accomplish some im- 
portant campaign for their defeat in some 
other Avay. 

It was with much difficulty that all the 
men could, even when perfectly able to 
march, be made to keep well up in their re- 
spective and proper places, and hence the 
command "Close up!" was heard with mo- 
notonous frequency. It was not always 
strictly necessary nor required that the men 
march in compact column, but there were 
many times that it was all important. Very 
often the enemy were near at hand, and an 
engagement w^as momentarily imminent, as 
Avhen we were pursuing them or they us, 
when to have marched disorderly would have 
exposed our army to defeat. On such occa- 
sions our position in the march must be such 
that we can form instantly into line of battle. 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 113 

and by every man being in his proper place 
this conkl be clone with all ease. If there 
was no enemy threatening us, and especial- 
ly if the roads were bad, we were only re- 
quired to observe approximately our proper 
relations to each other. There were some 
soldiers, however, who never seemed, under 
any circumstances, to recognize the impor- 
tance of the command being Avell closed up, 
with all the men in their proper places; and 
it was on account of these that the order to 
close up was so often given. Well, there 
were also those who were forgetful, and those 
wdio were constitutionally careless, who also 
made the order necessary. Some knew noth- 
ing of drilling and marching, and, like some 
people are about music, it seemed that they 
could never learn. They thought war meant 
simply fighting with all of one's might, 
and' that the other requirements laid upon 
them, of keeping step, marching in order, 
and the various forms of drilling, were su- 
perfluous appendages. As one of the lieu- 
tenants, whose business it was to see that the 
men marched orderly, it sometimes became 



114: SOME REBEL RELICS 

an exceedingly unpleasant duty to perform. 
Men with whom I wae intimately associated 
when not on duty would seem to forget that 
they were on duty when on the march, and 
stepping out of ranks, would essay a familiar 
conversation with me as we marched along, 
and at a time when I was under orders to 
keep every man in his place. To promptly 
require such a one to get back to his place 
was very trying to my feelings, and likely to 
hurt his, but had to be done. A presumptu- 
ous private was always an annoyance when 
the company officers were under special or- 
ders to see that the men conformed strictly 
to the requirements contained therein. In 
order to keep one of the men of my company, 
who was inclined to have his own way, in his 
place, one day when we were marching in 
close proximity to the enemy, I had, after re- 
minding him several times of his duty, to 
threaten him with arrest. This irritated him 
very much, and he blurted out : " You can 
command me now, but I will see you after 
the war is over." And, sure enough, he did 
see me after the war, and there never was 



PROM THE SEAT OF WAll. 115 

one friend more delighted to sec another than 
he was to see me. His remark gave me no 
offense, and he was soon ashamed of it; and 
especially was it impossible for him to carry 
over any spitcfiilness to the close of the war 
toward an officer who, he knew, was but dis- 
charging his duty in keeping him in place. 

The ^' forced marches," of which w^e had 
not a few^, were exceedingly hard on us, as 
we had to walk more briskly than usual, and 
had fewer and shorter resting spells. Often, 
also, we would have heavy night marches to 
perform, and we had the bad luck frequent- 
ly to have to be in motion when the nights 
were dark and rainy. Hardly half the men 
generally could be carried through these 
forced and night marches without more or 
less straggling, not to say an utter break- 
down on the part of* many. Wearied with 
w^alking, and from the loss of sleep, and yet 
being hurried along at a quick step, exhaus- 
tion would impel them to drop out of ranks 
and rest. The hurried night march that we 
had in our return from Mouth of Tippah 
throua'h rain and mud, and wadin.sr swollen 



"^ 



116 SOME REBEL RELICS 

streams of various sizes, followed by a rapid 
march throughout the next day, will be re- 
membered by the soldiers of our command 
as one of those special break down marches. 
There were a number of others of a similar 
character, but this was the severest w^e had 
had up to that time. "We were kept on our 
feet so much on such occasions that we fre- 
quently went to sleep standing up, and some- 
times when we were in motion. At night 
the head of the column would sometimes be 
hindered by the wagons or something else, 
and make our movements very slow for the 
time being, and yet we would be required to 
keep on our feet, and move forward whenev- 
ei* it could be done. Those were the times 
that weariness was most oppressive to me, 
and I counted it a luxury beyond estimate 
to lie down but for a moment in the mud. 

Carrying luggage on the march was one 
of our troubles, there being certain things 
which it was needful for every soldier to 
have at hand all the time. The wagon trains 
went along with the commands to haul our 
camp equipage, such as tents, when we had 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 117 

any, cooking utensils, axes, etc., but the sol- 
diers, except the commissioned officers, were 
required to carry their gnus aud cartridge 
boxes, and usually their knapsacks of cloth- 
ing, when they had any. "We all carried our 
rations in our haversacks, and canteens for 
water. Our bedding — blankets and oil 
cloths — when we had any, might be thrown 
in the wagons, though it was usual for those 
w^ho had oil cloths to carry them for protec- 
tion when it rained, aud some of the soldiers 
who had no oil cloths would carry their 
blankets for this purpose instead of putting 
them in the wagons. In the early part of the 
war we had more baggage of one sort and 
another than we had afterward, and would 
try to carry more, but as the war advanced 
we had less and were less inclined to make 
pack horses of ourselves. Our plunder was 
lessened by throwing away some things, by 
losses on the marches, and by the general 
w-ear and tear of things. Long before the 
war ended we would do without all that w^e 
possibly could, aud make our burdens as 
light as possible; and to this day I have an 



118 "^^^SOME REBEL RELICS 



abboiTeiice of surplus luggage, often prefer- 
ring, even in the winter, to take the risk of 

• 
bad weather to being burdened with an over- 
coat, and will put off as long as possible car- 
rying one on my " rounds " from home at the 
approach of winter. A few of the soldiers 
preferred to have nothing except what cloth- 
ing they then had on, and took the chances 
of getting more when this wore out, and 
when we stopped to camp at night they 
would either nod around the camp fires or 
crowd themselves under the blankets of 
others. 

Much depended on the care we took of 
ourselves at all times, but especially on the 
marches, as to our health, as well as to our 
maintaining our strength — fortifying our- 
selves against fatigue. After the weariness 
of a day's march many would cast themselves 
full length on the ground, wet or dry, for 
rest, and would often make themselves sick 
thereby. The oil cloth (rubber blanket) was 
very important, not only as a protection 
against the rain when we were marching, 
but by putting it under us at night it pro- 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 119 

tectcd US against the moisture of the ground, 
which was a prolific cause of sickness. Our 
mess, in making our pallet, when without a 
tent, w^oiild have an oil cloth or two next to 
the ground, on which we would spread our 
blankets, the top spread also being an oil 
cloth. It was a rare thing that I ever lay on 
the ground if it was at all damp without my 
oil cloth under me if I had one, though there 
were times, on some of the hard marches, 
that I was without one, and so had to drop 
down on the naked ground for rest. 

I do not recall that the government fur- 
nished us oil cloths to any extent, but we had 
to supply ourselves with them as we did with 
guns, in a large measure, by capturing them 
from the Yankees. They were taken in va- 
rious ways from the enemy: sometimes by 
capturing their quartermaster stores, some- 
times by gathering them up after the Yan- 
kees were routed and had thrown them away 
on the battlefield, and quite a number were 
taken from prisoners and off dead Yankees. 
I never took but one off a dead Yankee, and 
that one did me no good, althougli it seemed 



120 '^^jOME KEBEL RELICS. 

to be a neAV and excellent one. It was at the 
battle of Peach Tree Creek, after we had 
driven the enemy frofii before ns, and were 
passing over their dead. In my w^ay was one 
of them who had on him an oil cloth, which 
was rolled np lengthways and fastened on his 
body with the belt of his cartridge box after 
it was passed over his shoulder and across 
his chest before and behind. Quickly stoop- 
ing down and cutting the belt, I jerked the 
oil cloth loose from the dead man, and w^ent 
on, not taking time to examine it until the 
battle was over, when I found that a Rebel's 
bullet had gone through the roll, making 
many holes in the cloth, wiien spread out, be- 
fore it did its deadly work. 



CHAPTER VI. 



BUILDING camp fires when on the march 
we stopped for the night was a stirring 
procedure, especially if the weather was cold 
or rainy; and indeed we had to have fires for 
cooking purposes, however pleasant the 
weather might be. If there w^ere fences near, 
and no other w^ood at hand, rails became our 
fuel; and there w^as generally a rush for 
for them, that those nearest the encampment 
might be gathered up first to prevent carry- 
ing them a greater distance. And if w^e 
stopped where we could get wood otherwise, 
that which could be easiest got was hurried- 
ly procured first, canning our fuel always at 
such times on our shoulders. It w^as ever with 
great regret to us all that w^e were put to the 
necessity of burning fence rails at times, 
thus destroying the property of our own 
friends; but we often camped without tents, 
even in very bad, cold weather, when to have 
done without fires would have produced 

(121) 



122 ^^^3IE KEBEL RELICS 

much sufFering and sickness, and rails were 
our only chance to have fires. 

We were hindered much in getting wood 
by not having a sufficient supply of good 
axes. The government undertook to furnish 
all that were needed, and had them hauled 
in the wagons for our use, but they were 
used by so many that w^ere not careful with 
them that the supply was reduced very rap- 
idly by losses and being damaged in one way 
or another, and those that we managed to 
keep for use became so dull as to be almost 
uselrcss except for splitting purposes, and 
were too few in number to meet the demand. 
ATe had no grindstones among our army 
stores, and so the only chance to sharpen 
our axes when they became dull w^as to go 
to the house of some citizen who could ac- 
commodate us. Those of us w^ho could buy 
began to supply ourselves with axes when- 
ever we could, and get the wagoners to take 
care of them for us when we were not regu- 
larly in camp. Buying an ax was often a 
right difficult thing to do, partly because of 
their scarcity after the war had gone on 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 123 

some time, and partly because they sometimes 
cost more than we were able to pay for them. 
I noted in my diary that on February 2, 
18G3, ^vhile we were in camp near Jackson, 
Miss., I w^ent into that town to buy an ax. 
The price was fl5, and that being more 
money than I had, I did not, of course, pur- 
chase it. On my way back to camp I bought 
one that had been in use a good while from 
an old negro man for $6. The price of axes 
went far beyond what it was then before the 
final catastrophe of 1865. Everything be- 
came more and more costly as the war Vvcnt 
on, until nothing scarcely that a private sol- 
dier wanted besides what the government 
furnished could be bought by him, his wages 
being about the only thing that continued 
low. I remember to have received a pair of 
" Yankee boots," as we called them, Febru- 
ary 15, 1863, which were procured through 
the lines for me by Uncle Calvin Goodloc, 
and brought to me by Joe Thompson, a mem- 
ber of our regiment, who had been at home 
on furlough. I noted in my diary that they 
came in the nick of time, and that such boots 



124 sTHie rebel kelics 

were selling within our lines for $65, What 
they were worth after^yard I cannot recall. 
At the Gate City Hotel, in Atlanta, a cup of 
coffee without sugar came to be worth $5, a 
bed for one night $15, and full meals $20 
each. 

When we started on a march it was seldom 
that we knew where we were going; or rath- 
er the object of the movement was not usu- 
ally made known to us — the company officers 
and the privates. In how much the com- 
manding general communicated his designs 
to the field officers I took not the pains to 
inquire. It was our business to obey orders, 
to march, to camp, to do fatigue duty, to 
fight, or what not, as we were ordered by 
those in whose commands we were, and it 
was not worth our Avhile to concern ourselves 
or be inquisitive as to what the meaning of 
our movements Avas; still we interested our- 
selves very much to find out all that we 
could as to where we were going when we 
were put on the march, and the significance 
of all our movements. Being free men in 
the highest sense, and fighting for our own 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 125 

iiidepeiidence, it was impossible that we be 
not concerned to know all that might possi- 
bly be found out about every campaign with 
which we were connected, and yet we knew 
full w^ell that for the generals to have com- 
municated their plans to us would have 
been almost equivalent to have told them 
to the enemy; for there were many who 
would have been so free to speak of these 
matters that some Yankee emissary or spy, 
near at hand, would have soon learned all 
that we knew. 

It was wonderful that the spirit of subor- 
dination to army authorities pervaded our 
soldiery to the extent that it did, for the 
freest people in the world in the days of the 
" Old South " were the citizens of our South- 
land, the material which constituted our vol- 
unteer armies. Insubordination cropped out 
now and then on some hard march wiiich 
seemed to have no important end, or in doing 
some heavy work which was not needful, or 
w^hen having to fight under disadvantages 
which might be obviated; but taking the war 
throughout, we were too intent on beating 



126 SoStE HP^BEL RELICS 

the Yankees back to allow such things to 
hinder us in our purpose, to gain, if possible, 
our independence. The conduct of the cam- 
paigns and their results determined, in our 
minds, the competency or incompetency of 
those who directed them, and we were more 
or less encouraged or discouraged thereby, 
but the one common sentiment of bitter ha- 
tred for the ever encroaching foe dominated 
us all and determined our minds to resist 
them under whatever circumstances we 
might be placed. 

Camp life, when we were encamped for 
any length of time, was sometimes somewhat 
monotonous, but there were almost always 
duties of one kind and another to be per- 
formed, which, though not particularly at- 
tractive, were valuable to us for exercise and 
to prevent tediousness. The inevitable drill 
had to be gone through with every day that 
the weather would permit, and this was kept 
up to the very close of the war. Time and 
again w^e were carried through the various 
evolutions of military tactics, and frequently 
drilled in the manual of arms, with a sham 



PROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 127 

battle fought now and then. There were 
also fatigue duties that were required to be 
done, such as cleaning off the encampment, 
digging sinks, handling army stores, fortify- 
ing, etc. These were done by reliefs, some 
men working awhile and then others taking 
their places w^hile they rested. Guards must 
also be on duty day and night, and especial- 
ly at night, and there must be details of men 
from day to day for that purpose. 

After the various camp duties had all been 
duly attended to, there was still a good deal 
of time left to us to be employed in such way 
as we might like, provided we violated no 
military order; and herein the differences of 
temperaments, etc., among the soldiers were 
seen, as in all other conditions in which they 
were placed. Some enjoyed one kind of rec- 
reation and some another, while there were 
some wdio cared not to do anything but loll 
idly about the encampment. Gaming of dif- 
ferent kinds, and sometimes gambling with 
cards and chuckerluck boxes, was resorted to 
by a good many; there was, how^ever, but 
little gambling carried on in the Thirty-fifth 



128 ">H^ 



ME REBEL RELICS 



Alabama Regiment that I ever knew of. 
Many there were who, caring for their reli- 
gious interests and the spiritual well-being 
of their comrades, gave much attention to 
meetings for those purposes. Of the reli- 
gious work in the army I propose to speak 
specially and separately after awhile. For 
myself I found my recreation in the interim 
of military duties mainly in religious labors, 
reading, and writing to the loved ones at 
home, and other relations. I always kept a 
long letter on hand to my wife, when I had 
time to write one, so that I could send it 
whenever a possible opportunity for doing so 
presented itself. I loved the game of chess 
very much, which I had learned when a stu- 
dent in Virginia at B. F. Minor's prepara- 
tory school to the University of Virginia, 
and while at Grenada, Miss., a part of the 
winter of 1862-63, our chaplain (Rev. Rob- 
ert A. Wilson) and I played it a good deal. 
We both, however, came simultaneously to 
the conclusion one night while we were play- 
ing, that, though there was possibly no harm 
in the game itself, still we were consuming 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAll. 129 

time that could be better employed, and so 
we gave it up altogether. To be sure the 
social intercourse among the soldiers, aside 
from any other form of recreation, was a very 
agreeable manner of spending our time. 
Members of different messes would visit 
each other in an informal way, and we would 
often cluster about in camp, as we fell in 
with each other by accident or otherwise, 
and talk over the affairs of the day. 

Ours was not a hired soldiery in the re- 
motest sense, as the Yankee army was in 
a large measure, but it was a citizen sol- 
diery, made up of the very best type of citi- 
zenship and accustomed to the best phases 
of social life, so that our mingling together 
in the camp was the intercourse of intelligent 
and cultured manhood, altogether capable of 
the highest appreciation of those things 
which affected the interests of the army, the 
people, and the country at large. Many in- 
deed were the pleasant moments in which we 
dwelt together in this way, and which both 
served to draw us nearer together and to 

counteract the longings for home, which 
9 



130 ^^OME REBEL RELICS 

mig'ht otherwise oppress lis. There was no 
scarcity of subjects, for conversation, of 
course, as the whole country, so to speak, 
was in arms, and there was no movement in 
any department of the Confederate or Yan- 
kee armies but that was of interest to us. 
Til rough the secular papers — the Ifemj^Jiis 
Apj)eal particularly, whose printing presses 
went from place to place in the South for 
safety from the Yankees — we kept w^ell up 
with what was transpiring in every direction, 
and with the rumors, I may also say, which 
were ever floating in the air only to vanish 
into nothing. The multitude and variety of 
these flying rumors, called " grapevine dis- 
patches," cannot be numbered. As a rule 
they were in our favor, though now and then 
they were not. The fact is, our soldiers and 
citizens w^ere intensely hopeful of success al- 
most throughout the entire war, and w^e were 
ever ready to enlarge upon whatever pleas- 
ant tidings for a long while that came to our 
ears, and at once stamp out as false whatever 
had a discouraging aspect. 

Our camp employment consisted, in a 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 131 

measure, also in supplementing our army ra- 
tions by supplies purchased from citizens in 
the country surrounding our encampment, 
even at remote distances from it, and in 
reaping all the benefit that we could from 
our culinary department. We could gener- 
ally get permission, a few at a time, to " go 
foraging," as we called our visits to the 
country for purchasing such things — vege- 
tables, fowls, etc. — as the government could 
not supply us with to any extent, or we 
could send our cooks, always negroes, at any 
time that we pleased. A great many messes 
— most of them, I judge — preferred to do their 
own cooking, mainly I suppose because of 
the expense of hiring cooks. At Canton, 
Miss., the winter of 1863-61, where we were 
longer in camp than at any other place, our 
mess had a negro cook wiio did our foraging. 
His name was Sam, and he was the property 
of Scip Cross, one of the soldiers, from 
whom we hired him. He was a good cook, 
and as a forager he was eminently success- 
ful; albeit, he was more attentive to the 
wants of the mess and of himself than he was 



132 ^^ME HEBEL HELICS 

to the interests of the citizens whose prem- 
ises he visited. He reported one day that he 
had found a flock of geese which he could 
get at the low price of thirty cents apiece if 
we were willing to eat them. Of course we 
wanted them, and furnished him the money 
from day to day to get one until the flock, I 
presume, was consumed, or until the supply, 
at least, was exhausted. We ate them with 
very great relish, and they w^ere so fat that 
we tried up lard from them, of a delightful 
quality at that, to shorten oiu^ corn bread and 
biscuit. Sam, who was always good-natured, 
was unusually merry while the goose busi- 
ness Avas going on; and I could notice a jol- 
ly twinkle of his eyes, now and then, as he 
would cut them around at one of my mess- 
mates — Pike Cockrill, my brother-in-law. 
He had communicated his secret to Pike, 
and bound him over to keep it strictly from 
me until the geese Avere all gone, and we had 
left Canton, fearing that I, who was at the 
head of the mess, would make matters un- 
pleasant for him. The fact was that he was 
taking the geese on the sly, and selling them 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 133 

to the mess at peace prices. He did not call 
that stealing, however, for he claimed that if 
he did not get them some one else would; 
moreover, he dechired that he tried to bny 
the geese, but that the owner put a higher 
price on them than he tliought ought to be 
asked. 

The army negro, as we had him among us, 
I will here say, gave every evidence of being 
pleased with the life that he then lived. We 
only kept him as a servant, in which capaci- 
ty he was well satisfied to abide; and he 
performed the duties that we put upon him 
with a decided relish. Of course he was al- 
ways in the rear when a fight was on hand, 
and his big mouth would smile to its utmost 
capacity whenever we whipped the Yankees. 
On the march he usually w^ent along Avith the 
wagon trains, and always rendered important 
service if any of the wagoners were disabled 
or otherwise obstructed in their movements. 

When upon going into camp in cold w^eath- 
er it was understood that we would remain 
some length of time, many of the messes 
would set to work at once to improve their 



134 ^^iklME KEBEL IlELICS 

quarters, though there were others who 
seemed indifferent to comforts of any kind, 
and were content with such accommodations 
as the government furnished. The field offi- 
cers Avere usually supplied with wall tents, 
in which they could use cots and stools, and 
walk about in with little inconvenience, but 
the companies had the "A" tents when they 
had tents of any kind, except that in a few 
cases and for a short while there were round 
conical tents. The *^A" tent was nothing 
more than the roof of a tent stretched over a 
pole and pinned to the ground, the only 
standing room in it being under the pole. 
One end was closed, and at the other end 
the door of the tent, and by building a fire 
just outside the open end, and pinning back 
the lower corners of the door, so to speak, it 
was made very comfortable within as we lay 
on our ground pallets. In order to make 
such tents more roomy and high enough to 
stand up in without inconvenience, we Avould 
sometimes build pens of poles several feet 
high, and then stretching the tents above 
them as roofs. The cracks in these pens we 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 135 

would climb with mud or stop with moss or 
straw. We would also build small stick- 
aiid-mud chimneys to these structures, which 
served for warming and cooking purposes, a 
much better arrangement, especially in bad 
weather, than having to warm and cook by 
fires without the tent. We constructed our 
bunks above ground with forks and poles or 
slabs, upon which we would place straw or 
moss to spread our blankets on, and arranged 
such seats as best we could. Having thus 
improved our temporary abiding places, we 
were ready to engage in housekeeping with 
a merry relish. Many thought it worth their 
while to take this much pains to make them- 
selves comfortable without the assurance 
that they would get the benefit of their im- 
provement longer than a week, it really be- 
ing a pleasant pastime to them to do such 
work. 

We remained longer in winter quarters 
near Canton, Miss., the winter of 1863-64 
than at any other place, and there many of 
us built cabins out and out, using split logs 
for the walls, there being a great many small 



136 ""^^OME REBEL llELICS 



straight red oak trees at hand, and covering 

them with boards which we also made from 

• 
timber that v/as convenient to the encamp- 
ment. To these cabins we bnilt pretty good 
chimneys of the stick-and-mud kind, and in 
them we arranged onr sleeping bunks, one 
above the other like the berths in steamboats. 
There was a great deal of long moss on the 
trees in that section, and this we used for 
stopping the cracks in our cabins and spread- 
ing on our rude bunks to make them as soft 
as possible. Such was the kind of cabin that 
the mess to which I then belonged built and 
occupied. There were others that were sim- 
ilarly or better constructed, but some of the 
soldiers made themselves only very indiffer- 
ent shanties, while others remained in the 
tents Avhich they had; the encampment 
therefore presented a strikingly variegated 
aspect, and w^as really an interesting scene 
to look upon, albeit we were not sufficient- 
ly poetical in those days to give attention to 
scenery. 

When not on duty we were kept quite 
close in our quarters by severely cold or 



FROM THE SKAT OF WAR. 137 

rainy weather, and then it was that we en- 
joyed in an especial manner the improve- 
ments tliat we had made, those of us who had 
taken the pains to make any. I call to mind 
how those of us who used tobacco relished 
our pipes when thus confined to our camp 
tenements by inclement Aveather. I have 
long been opposed to the use of the " weed" 
in any way, but in those days I esteemed 
such indulgence next to a necessity, and an 
inexpressible delight. January 20, 1863, 
while in camp at Grenada, Miss., I wrote in 
my diary, expecting thereafter to make it 
more fall : " Here I must insert an essay w hen 
I have leisure on the luxury of the pipe in 
camp in cold weather." This was while we 
were having some very cold, disagreeable 
weather. We had a great deal of rain while 
in camp on Big Black in February, 1863, 
and in my diary of the 13th of that month 
occurs this utterance: '^ O the luxury of a 
pipe in camp! AYould that the Muses would 
inspire me to write a poetical essay on that 
subject! " It is too late for such a perform- 
ance as that now, were I ever so poetical, which 



138 ^>>OME IlEBEL RELICS 

I am not, there being no poetry to me in the 
pipe in these times of^ peace. Several of us 
had joined in a smoke together that day, and 
at the conclusion of it resolutions were passed 
requesting whoever could to write of the 
value of the pipe under such circumstances, 
but none of us felt competent to do the sub- 
ject justice. 

My recollection is that most of the soldiers 
with whom I was throAvn from time to time 
both chewed and smoked tobacco as a con- 
stant habit, whether in camp or on the 
march, but one of them, not of our immediate 
command, whom I met in ^North Alabama in 
the winter of 1864, gave me this hint on the 
tobacco habit, which I here record as a Reb- 
el relic : 

Tobacco is a noxious weed. 

Davy Crockett sowed the seed. 

It robs your pocket and soils your clothes, 

And makes a chimney of your nose. 

We always undertook, when in camp for 
any length of time, to get up the best meals 
that we could, but when kept in our homely 
abodes by bad w^eather we took special pains 



FllOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 139 

to prepare something very nice to eat, if we 
had been so fortunate as ta get in any good 
"forage." We occasionally had sugar; and 
would make sweet cakes, pies, etc., when we 
had the other articles necessary for making 
such things. These we ate in the midst of 
comments and merriment, and would some- 
times send a portion to the field officers. I 
recall an unusually bad day at Jackson, 
Miss., February 4., 1863, and a pleasant inci- 
dent in connection with it. That day it com- 
menced sleeting just after breakfast, which 
was soon followed by a pouring rain, which 
lasted till bedtime. Our mess, at the head 
of which then was Lieut. Martin, was occu- 
pying a pole pen with a tent cloth stretched 
over it, into the side of which we had made 
a fireplace. We had the good luck to have 
in store some dried peaches, and H. E. Kel- 
logg, a member of our mess, tried his skill in 
making peach pies, which indeed were very 
fine. We selected the nicest-looking one of 
the pies and sent it around to Col. Goodwin, 
then commanding our regiment. On a slip 
of paper accompanying the pie was written: 



140 ^^bME REBEL RELICS 

"Compliments of Lieut. Martin and mess." 
A Avritten reply came back from Col. Good- 
win in these words: "Lieut. Martin and 
mess will please accept a soldier's gratitude." 

Our encampment on Big Black wasgreat- 
]j saddened the morning of February 18, 
1863, by a shocking accident which occurred. 
Some men in Company C cut down a tree in 
a street of the camp while it was raining, and 
most of the men were in their tents. Fear- 
ing when it began to fjill that it w^ould strike 
one of the tents, they hallooed to the men in 
it to run out; and one of them (Hamilton, of 
the same company) jumped into the street 
just in time for the tree to strike him and 
kill him. He was mashed to death into the 
soft ground by the large limbs of the tree in 
a most horrid manner. 

There were a number of accidents that oc- 
curred, from first to last, on the march and 
in camp, resulting in the death or maim- 
ing of soldiers; and in all such cases we were 
more shocked than when our comrades fell 
in battle. When on the battlefield we were 
in the midst of carnage, and so were prepared 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 141 

for whatever might befall any with whom we 
fought; but when off the field we were not 
expecting sudden calamities to overtake 
them to the destruction of life or loss of 
limb. 



CHAPTEE yil. 



DURING much of the war — most of it, I 
suppose — we had the ahiiost constant 
companionship of the army ox and the army 
louse, upon both of which I prepared reports 
for the John L McEwen Bivouac, in 1891, 
and these reports I shall here incorporate 
into these '' Rebel Relics," that war may be 
seen also in the light which they present. 

The Army Ox. 
It was not necessary to be a herdsman nor 
a butcher nor a commissary, during the war 
in which we Avere engaged for freedom from 
Yankee rule, to learn that oxen and Confed- 
erate soldiers were closely identified with 
each other, and that but for the abiding 
presence of the oxen the Confederate in 
arms would have often fared much worse 
than he did. Every soldier knew that. The 
oxen are therefore worthy of our most affec- 
tionate remembrance; nor do we think that 

(142) 



SOME REBEL KELICS. 143 

WG belittle the functions of the Historical 
Committee, nor the dignity of the Bivouac, 
by reporting on the army ox. Whatever, 
indeed, was connected with the expedition 
of ours to rid our Southland of Yankee in- 
vaders is of perpetual interest, we take it. 
Unfortunately for ns, be it said, the Yankee 
soldier came to stay; but fortunately for us, 
the army ox also came to stay. 

There were seasons, especially in the ear- 
lier period of the struggle, when richer diet 
than the typical army ox, and more abun- 
dant, w^as provided; but it, like other sub- 
lunary things, soon passed away. JN'or need 
w^e to have repined, as so many did, because 
of this revolution of rations, for, after all, we 
were gainers in health and strength and en- 
durance by the change. It might have been 
a physiological necessity that Moses kept his 
Israelites from swine and put them on beef 
ad infinitum; and so Jeff Davis might have 
reasoned that his Confederates could wiiip 
more Yankees and do more running with 
beef rations than they could on hog flesh. 
Nay, it was dire necessity which drove lis to 



144 ^^t)ME nEBEL RELICS 

fall back on beef rations, just as necessity, 
alias Yankees, compelled ns to fall back 
from position to position until we fell a prey 
to Lincoln's hired legions. 

"Come up and draw your beef!" Thus 
yelled the fifth sergeant from day to day, and 
to this day the delectable sound still rings in 
our ears, though more than a quarter of a 
century has passed since we last heard it. 
" Come up and draw your beef ! " It mat- 
tered not how much or how little, how^ good 
or how^ bad, how it was as to quality or 
quantity, it was nevertheless draw^n, and 
some mirth-provoking response was alwaj^s 
made by some soldier to the call of the com- 
pany commissary. Indeed, if there ever was 
a condition of things that existed in our 
army, how^ever straitened it might have been, 
when there was not some soldier ready with 
a humorous remark, my memory is at fault. 
In the dreariest of bivouacs, under the sorest 
of privations, on the hardest of marches, and 
even in the lulls of battle, the ludicrous 
would pop out of some one, not necessarily 
a wag, and often to the unspeakable relief 



FliOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 145 

of his comrades who were enduring next to 
intolerable tension. Blessings upon the head 
of the old Keb who could give us something 
to laugh at when our agonies would have al- 
most overcome us without it! Call him a 
wag, if you will, but he was an army bene- 
factor for all that, and will always be re- 
membered most lovingly by his old compan- 
ions in suffering and peril. Blessings upon 
him! 

But did I say we always drew the beef, 
whether it was good or whether it was bad? 
^ot always. Once at least the beef was 
blue and slimy and sticky, not affording the 
slightest hint that there was even marrow^ in 
the bones of the ox that furnished it, not to 
speak of kidney fat. We were near Ed- 
wards Depot, in Mississippi, about fifteen 
miles east of Vicksburg, and it was Febru- 
ary 14, 1863, W'hen we went back this one 
time on beef, not blaming the ox, however, for 
what the butcher and chief commissary did. 
Insubordination is no part of a good soldier, 
but here our contracted abdomens drove us 

to it, in a measure. It proved to be the 
10 



146 SOME REBEL RELICS 

proper course for us, for the beef immediate- 
ly improved to the exient that it was possi- 
ble for us to eat it. And, after all, how 
could we much blame the butcher and the 
commissary? We were doing a good deal 
of campaigning at that time, with but little 
to feed our cattle on, so that every day found 
them weaker and poorer. Some could stand 
marching and starving better than others, 
and so they must be kept on foot as long as 
possible. But what was to be done with 
those which, from weariness and hunger, 
could go no farther? Why, eat them, of 
course. And it was said, and the saying 
obtained general credence, that as w^e stopped 
to camp after a day's march, a fence rail was 
laid across the road in front of the beeves, 
and that those were slaughtered for our next 
day's rations that could not step over the rail. 
Be it remembered that in those halcyon 
days we generally prepared our beef for eat- 
ing by jerking it; and being thus prepared, 
the difference was not so marked between 
good and bad beef as it would have been if 
prepared some other way. The jei'king 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 117 

process may have been interesting to most 
of us when we first had to resort to it, but it 
became decidedly monotonous to us before 
we were through with it. It was done by 
holding the meat to the fire, having first 
^^ strung" it on a ramrod or stick, and turn- 
ing it around from time to time until it was 
toasted through, more or less. The ration 
of beef for the day we cut into three pieces 
before we jerked it, to answer for our three 
meals, and that with three small corn "dodg- 
ers " made the ration in full for the day. It 
could have all been easily eaten at one sit- 
ting without any sense of heaviness on the 
stomach, but it was for the entire day, and 
so we went through three motions to con- 
sume it. Some, however, would cook and 
eat their day's ration at one time, and then 
make the best shift they could the remainder 
of the day for something else to eat. To be 
sure it was not always beef and corn dodg- 
ers, as above remarked, but such was our 
diet much of the time, and especially when 
we were in motion; and it was oftener that 
we fared much worse than this than that we 



148 gfoME KEBEL RELICS 

fared better. Some of the soldiers were 
wont to say that they never wanted to see 
another ox after the war ended, but " more 
beef and better beef" was what others longed 
for when they should come to command the 
situation. To the latter class I belonged, 
and so remain to this day. Give me heef. 

Passing over into Georgia, a " bull meet- 
ing " comes to mind that was held in our en- 
campment at sundown September 27, 1864, 
the day after President Davis reviewed the 
army, while we were lying a few miles from 
Palmetto Station, just before entering upon 
Hood's famous " Tennessee Campaign." Here 
w^e w^ere shut in by a chain of sentinels to pre- 
vent us from " foraging," and our rations were 
so slight as to furnish no check to our hun- 
ger. xV fine herd of beeves had been collect- 
ed, we understood, but it was presumed that 
Hood was saving them for the long march 
that was before us. The cattle, it is known, 
were traveled along with the army from day 
to day, when it was in motion. It was re- 
ally a very distressing condition of things, 
as we were more and more hunger-bitten 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 149 

each succeeding day, and by degrees the 
spirit of mutiny crept in among the men. 
They made comphunts to the proper author- 
ities, but to no purpose, until finally notices 
of a " bull meeting " were stuck on the trees 
throughout the encampment, to be held at 
sundown, the place of gathering to be des- 
ignated by " bellowing." At the appointed 
time bellowing began near division head- 
quarters, and grew louder and louder as the 
crowd increased. When the bellowing 
ceased, the crowd having congregated, 
speaking began on the subject of short ra- 
tions when it was possible for the army to 
be better provisioned. Among the speakers 

was S P , a lawyer in my company, 

six feet five inches high. This speaker and 
the occasion were well suited. He loved to 
eat, and we accused him of never having had 
a good filling since his enlistment in the 
army. Abdominally he was not large " in 
the girth," but he w^as unusually long. That 
evening he was exceedingly hungrj^ ]N"o 
platform had been erected for the speakers, 
and this particular speaker was lifted up on 



150 ^^OME llEBEL KELICS 

the limb of a tree by several soldiers when 
he was called on to speak. He certainly 
" loomed." At the close of the meeting no- 
tice was given that unless larger rations 
were furnished by the commissary right 
away, the men Avould provide themselves 
with beef from the army pens. The beef, 
pins cornfield peas, came through the prop- 
er channel, and the day following S 

P , being full (peas will swell), enter- 
tained the encampment, division headquar- 
ters and all, with a magnificent speech, aglow 
with patriotism, subordination, chivalry, etc. 
While the flesh of the ox was a success 
(let us admit) as army diet, his hide, un- 
tanned, at least, was a failure as foot cover- 
ing, called at the time '^ moccasins." This 
w^as tested while on the march northward 
through Georgia on our way to Tennessee. 
The night of October 11, 1864, we camped 
some twelve miles northeast of Rome. Just 
after we had eaten our supper and jerked 
our beef for the next day, orders came for 
all the shoe makers to report at army head- 
quarters. The presumption was that they 



FliOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 151 

would be sent to the rear to make shoes for 
the soldiers, many of whom were barefooted 
and many poorly shod; and never before 
was it known that the shoe maker's trade 
was so largely represented in the army. 
And those that were not shoe makers that 
night seemed to regret that they had not 
learned the trade. "Anything for a change " 
was the idea Avhich sometimes pervaded the 
ranks; and so shoe making just then was 
thought to be much better than marching, 
with those who professed to be qualified for 
such work. But late in the night came the 
shoe makers back to their respective com- 
panies in droves, disgusted with themselves 
and with Gen. Hood and with ox hides. In- 
stead of going to the rear to make shoes out 
of leather, as the order was very naturally 
interpreted to mean, they were required to 
make rawhide moccasins that night in camp, 
and I'eport back to their commands for duty 
at daybreak the next morning. The return- 
ing ones vowed, when they learned the real 
meaning of the order, that they knew noth- 
ing about making moccasins, and further- 



152 "^^H^ME llEBEL RELICS 

more that they had never before heard of 
such things. That we enjoyed their dis- 
comfiture when they returned from their 
shoe-making expedition need not be stated. 
But some of the shoe makers — how many 
I could never learn — toughed it out and 
made moccasins of the hides of the beeves 
that were sUiughtered that day. They were 
made with the flesh sides out and the hair 
next to tlie bare feet of the soldiers who 
wore them. Before being put on the feet 
they looked like hideous pouches of some 
kind, but no man coidd have conjectured for 
what purjDose they were made. However, 
there was much bragging on them the next 
day by those to whom they had been issued. 
But the next ni^ht and dav foUowing it 
rained, rained, rained, and ahis for the moc- 
casins and the men who wore them! Just 
such shapes as tliose moccasins assumed, 
and such positions as they occupied on the 
feet, as the men went trudging along through 
the mud and w^ater, can never be told; nor 
can any imagination, how^ever refined, justly 
depict them. The pioneer corps were ahead 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAT.. 153 

of US putting poles and mils across the nu- 
merous little branches that the rain had 
made, for us to walk over on; and whenever 
a moccasin-footed soldier w^ould step on one 
of these poles or rails into the branch the 
moccasin would instantly conduct him. Lu- 
dicrous remarks and ludicrous scenes with- 
out number characterized that day's march, 
which were as cordial to us in our weariness, 
and long before night the moccasins and 
their wearers forever parted company. It is 
due to the army ox, however, to say that it 
was a great injustice to him to work up his 
untanned hide in this way; and that if prop- 
er measures had been taken with it in ad- 
vance the soldiers could have been well and 
comfortably shod, and the reputation of the 
army ox would not have suffered among 
those to whose support and cheer he so 
faithfully and constantly contributed. But 
more reflection, indeed, was cast upon Hood 
than upon the ox for the moccasin under- 
taking and the moccasin failure. 

Precious with the Confederate soldier is 
the memory of the armij ox. 



151 ^Ome kejl5p:l kelics 

The Army Louse. 
The army louse, or grayback, was an army 
appendage of which honorable mention need 
not particularly be made, as in the case of 
the Confederate ox, but which fidelity to 
the facts of army life demands that record, 
at least, be made. Where he came from 
when the war broke out, and where he went 
when it closed, is not in the scope of this 
committeeman's knowledge. The grayback 
was never here until Lincoln's soldiers 
came, and the easy presumption is that they 
brought him along with them, and turned 
him loose on us. But why they carried him 
back with them after the war was over is a 
puzzle, since the pests generally which they 
brought with them remained. Did not the 
Yankees bring the chicken cholera, and the 
hog cholera, and women-in-breeches, and 
various other pests and phigues? and are 
they nbt all still here? And yet when the 
Yankees marched back home the graybacks 
did likewise. But the solution of problems 
is not one of the functions of an historical 
committee, which has only to gather and re- 



YROM TIIK SEAT OF WAll. 155 

cord facts. The fact, then, is that there 
were no gray backs in the Southern Confed- 
eracy until the tramp of Yankee soldiery 
was heard in our land; and that is about all 
that Ave know about their origin. May we 
never see their like again! 

For size, the army louse was a success, he 
being, among the rest of the tribe to which 
he is supposed to belong, when he had 
reached his majority, as the elephant is to 
the quadrujyedal beasts of a majestic sort 
among which he roams in the jungles of Af- 
rica. As to locomotion he seemed not to be 
brisk, but moved from place to place with 
leisurely dignity, always, however, coming 
to time in locating himself in such quarters 
as suited his comfort and convenience. He 
was a quiet, easy bloodsucker, and so took 
up his lodging Avhere his business would be 
convenient to him. Unlike the flea and the 
seed tick and the chigoe, he did not mean to 
worry you when his suction pump for blood 
was put in operation; and really he would 
sometimes be nearly through wnth the per- 
formance before you knew he had begun, 



156 S^IE KEBEL IIELICS 

and then you would only experience a slight 
local warmth and itching sensation, making it 
a veritable luxury to scratch. Any soldier 
would at any time have traded off a flea or 
a chigoe for a grayback. I can vividly re- 
call an occasion when our command, in stop- 
ping to rest where there were very many 
rotten logs, were liberally supplied with 
chigoes from the logs, upon which they seat- 
ed themselves; and there was a universal de- 
sire to trade off* chigoes for graybacks, some 
of the soldiers off'ering as many as ten chig- 
oes for one grayback, if the other party 
w^ould catch the chigoes. 

My first palpable personal experience with 
the grayback w^as Monday morning, April 
27, 1863. From what I then perceived, it 
was obvious that they were old settlers in 
my clothing; but they had made their set- 
tlement, and carried on their incursions so 
adroitly and tenderly as to make me suspect 
that the itching sensation I had been experi- 
encing from time to time was but the effect 
of a slight "humor in the blood," or only 
the product of weariness and dirt. I had 



FJIOM THE SEAT OF WAIl. 157 

slept in fi covered bridge near Enterprise, 
Miss., the night before with a number of our 
regiment, to protect us against rain, and all 
night I was troubled with unusual heat of 
the surface at large, and an inordinate pro- 
pensity to scratch. Before breakfast I went 
u}) the river a short distance above the 
bridge for a bath, and to cool off my fever- 
ish skin. Having made the necessary prep- 
arations to go into the river, it occurred to 
me to examine the inside of my under gar- 
ments, and upon turning them inside out I 
found them literally specked with graybacks. 
To the inevitable I most reluctantly sur- 
rendered; and from that day to this I have 
held that no soldier is to be accredited with 
perfect fidelity to all his duties who did not 
have the companionship, in liberal measure, 
of the grayback. 

The habitation, by preference, of the gray- 
back, was the inner seams of the garments 
next the skin, whether they were drawers or 
pants, shirts or jackets; for sometimes the 
veteran of the stars and bars could afford no 
undergarments, his only wearing apparel be- 



^ 



158 SOME KEBEL IlELICS 

iiig breeches and jacket, wearing- them there- 
fore, of course, next .to his skin. To be 
sure the grayback would not stay in the 
seams all the time; for he must needs live 
by foraging, and so would travel about over 
the body and limbs of the one who carried 
him, in quest of a tender place in the skin 
into which to introduce his suction pump. 
He often had the honorable title of " Body 
Guard " bestowed upon him, so vigilant was 
he in his attentions to the person of the soldier, 
over which he quietly and watchfully glided. 
Capturing graybacks, when one was so 
cruel as to do so, was a careful and system- 
atic procedure. This was the only meth- 
od by which the soldier could get rid of 
them to any extent, for boiling water is no 
exterminator of them, as many witnesses 
who have tried it most emphatically declare. 
It is said of the flea that "when you put 
your finger on him he is not there," but of 
the grayback it may be said that when you 
put your finger on him he is there; so that 
capturing them was an easy undertaking, 
not to say an interesting pastime rather than 



FROM THE SEAT OF AVAR. Uj\f 

Otherwise. When embarking seriously in 
an expedition against graybacks the soldier 
would take his seat on a log some distance 
from camp, and proceed about as follows: 
First he removes his jacket and carefully in- 
spects it within and without, and then hangs 
it on a bush in the sun. This sunning proc- 
ess is to allure any gray back from his hiding 
place, by its genial warmth, that may have 
been ovei-looked. The shoes are then taken 
off and thoroughly jarred, with the open side 
downward, and put to one side. The socks 
are removed, one at a time, slowly and cau- 
tiously, with the eyes intently fixed on every 
interstice within and without; they are then 
well shaken, and hung in the sun, wrong side 
out. !N^ext the pants are slipped oft' easily, 
and the outside carefully examined; then, by 
degrees, the inside of each leg is turned out, 
until the pants, as a whole, are turned, Avhile 
with increasing eagerness the wearer exam- 
ines every seam and wrinkle. This garment 
is also hung in the sun, inside out. ^ow for 
the shirt. A like inspection and sunning is 
undergone with that, while the soldier is no 



160 ^OME KEBEL RELICS 

less watchful, but much more busy than he 
had heretofore beeu. .It was a kind of skir- 
mish before this, but now the battle is joined, 
so far as the soldier is concerned, with death- 
dealing vigor, and scores of graybacks are 
slain, together with those in embryo, for 
within the shirt many nits are found. Last- 
ly the drawers come off as the pants did, and 
are likewise inspected and hung in the sun. 
The removal of these is done with greater 
care and closer inspection, if possible, than 
was the case heretofore with the other gar- 
ment, and the graybacks and nits that are 
popped between the nails of the thumbs need 
not be guessed at. A corporeal inspection 
is then undergone, a bunch of pennja-oyal is 
rubbed on the surface, if any is at hand, and 
the soldier puts on his clothes again. He 
dresses slowly, carefully reinspecting each 
garment before putting it on; and then goes, 
whistling " Dixie," back to camp. 

Just when the gray back got into the Con- 
federate camp the army statisticians have 
not shown, but an exploit similar to the one 
just described, though not so elaborate, was 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. IGl 

not eiuicted in my sight until the opening of 
the siunnier 01*18(52. 

As to the general contour of the grayback, 
tlie number ol' his legs, the mechanism of the 
proboscis which he employed as a suction 
pump, the dimensions of his posterior de- 
partment, and the capacity of his blood res- 
ervoir my memory does not serve me suffi- 
ciently to state, more than to say what has 
already been said: that the grayback was, 
as a louse, an undisputed success. 

And now it is due the author of this report 
to say that he is not writing for the mere 
amusement of the Bivouac, but to put on 
I'ecord, in as pleasant a way as he can, wdiat 
is necessary to a full statement and under- 
standing of army life, and to show, in part, 
through what humiliation w^e had to pass in 
contending for our inalienable rights. To 
do full duty in the ranks, especially in the 
infantry, it was simply impossible for us to 
be altogether free from dirt and vermin, with 
the best of pains that w^e could take. To be 
sure there w^ere some soldiers who w^ere not 

as careful of cleanliness, in person and cloth- 
11 



162 SOME REBEL llELICS. 

ing, as they might have been; and yet, when 
we consider that there were thousands, after 
awhile, wdio were without a change of gar- 
ments, and remember that we constantly 
marched through dust and mud, or were 
transported in dirty cars, and slept almost 
constantly on the ground, the utter futility 
of their undertaking to be free from dirt and 
vermin, in any effectual sense, is but too ob- 
vious. With all the washing that could be 
done (and we were frequently where we could 
scarcely get a sufficient supply of drinking 
water) and all the care that could otherwise 
be taken of garments and person, there was 
the barest possibility oftentimes of an ap- 
proach to cleanliness. As to those who were 
not as careful as they might have been in such 
matters, it can nevertheless be said of them 
that they were often foremost in the fight, 
and ready for all kinds of fatigue duty. 
Some soldiers seemed to give themselves over 
to a don't-care manner of life in these and 
other matters, and were only careful to do 
what they could to beat the Yankees. Hon- 
ored be their memories! 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE chief significance of war is the whole- 
sale slanghter of man by man, as army 
is arrayed against army, w^ith weapons of de- 
struction in hand and in use against each 
other with the utmost vigor on the field of 
battle; and here it is that all army move- 
ments and stratcgems of commanders, in the 
main, converge. An enemy is sometimes de- 
feated without a battle being fought, by 
adroit stratagem, one army getting such ad- 
vantage of another as to render it powerless 
for resistance; but the rule is to fight, and to 
do so with all fui-y, that the slain may be as 
multitudinous as possible. The greater the 
number that fall in battle on one side the 
more gratifying it is to the other. It cer- 
tainly was so with us during the war in which 
we were engaged, and it is not yet an unpleas- 
ant recollection that we killed in battle more 
Yankees by far than the aggregate of our 
armies amounted to, besides wounding a 

(163) 



164 SbME llEBEL EELTCS 

great many more; so that it takes millions 
on top of millions of clpllars annnally of gov- 
ernment money to pension those that onr 
bullets struck, but did not kill. 

The first of this month of April, 1892, in 
which I now write, " there were 827,207 
names on the pension roll. It is estimated 
that by January 1, 1893, there will be 1,000,- 
000 pensioners drawing substance from the 
tax payers. In the last fiscal year the pay- 
ment of pensions required $118,500,000, and 
it is estimated that it will require to pension 
those whose applications are now pending, 
and whose claims will probably be allowed 
within a period of three years, the sum of 
$162,700,000 more, which added to the pres- 
ent annual expenditure gives a grand total 
of $281,000,000. In the pension budget now 
hung up in the Senate an appropriation of 
$147,000,000, nearly one-third of the entire 
expenses of maintaining the government, has 
been recommended. 

" Great Britain paid for pensions in 1891 
about $27,000,000; France paid $29,000,000; 
Germany pays $13,000,000 annually; Aus- 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAII. 1G5 

trill, 112,000,000; and Russia, $18,000,000. It 
thus appears that the amount paid l^y the 
United States hi^t year for pensions is nearly 
150,000,000 in excess of the total paid for 
pensions by all the countries enumerated 
above." 

AVhenever a battle was fought the nuQi- 
ber of the slain was the first information 
sought; and if a great many had fallen on 
either side, the tidings thrilled the other side 
with delight all over the land, both in the 
army and among the citizens. Possibly we 
loved to hear of Yankees being killed in 
great numbers more than we ought to have 
done, but they took great pains to incur our 
hate and compel us to rejoice in their de- 
struction. We were interested, to be sui-e, 
in the numbers of wounded and prisoners, 
but the best results to us of a battle was 
when the greatest number of Yankees " bit 
the dust," as we were wont to speak. The 
Yankees were the same way toward us, of 
course, their vindictive hate for Southerners 
inciting them to kill as many of us as they 
could; nor did they confine their murderous 



166 ^^l^iME llEBEL KELICS 



operations to the battlefield, but many help- 
less citizens were pei'secutecl and imprisoned 
and killed by them and their conscienceless 
emissaries. AYhat martyrdom of Southern 
citizens was suffered at the hands of our in- 
veterate haters who wore the blue can never 
be told. War against the South with them 
meant war against unarmed men and help- 
less women as well as against our armed sol- 
diery. They hated us all and our institutions 
with a perfect hatred. 

Going into battle was always to me a try- 
ing ordeal, nor can I say that I liked it any 
better after it was fully joined. There is no 
scene through which man is called to pass 
that is comparable to those which character- 
ize the field of battle. It exhibits the might- 
iest possible tumult of rage among men, a 
very pandemonium on earth. The close and 
constant thunderous outbursts of artillery, 
and explosions of shells thrown from it into 
the ranks of men, the interminable flash and 
rattle of musketry, and the whistling, whiz- 
zing tones of the missiles of death which issue 
momentarily from it; the long, loud yells of 



FKOM TIIK SKAT OF WAH. 167 

irate men striving' Avitli their best manhood 
for the mastery, and nerving each other to 
the ntmost feats of valor; opposing lines of 
soldiery rnshing recklessly against each other 
nntil the earth seems to moan and shudder 
under their feet; the constantly toppling to 
the ground of the slain and wounded men — 
this much and more attaches to the surging 
billows of discordant men as they come to- 
gether in the battle's front. The yell raised 
by our men as they advanced against the 
Yankees was, and is, known as the " Rebel 
yell," and was as loud and prolonged as the 
'' sound of many waters." I^o such noise of 
human voices was ever heard on earth before. 
It was the voice of hope and valor combined, 
and was a perpetual inspiration to our lines 
while the conflict raged, helping us in the 
achievement of many, many victories. No 
such sound could emanate from the throats 
of the Yankees, who fought not as freemen, 
but as hirelings. 

While such scenes as these were bein^: en- 
acted in the front by those who bore the 
brunt of the battle, close behind were the in- 



168 "*>itt3IE KEBEI. KELICS 



firmary corps, with litters in hand and gath- 
ering up and bearing off to the field hospital 
in the rear the wounded as they fell, that the 
surgeons might give them such immediate 
and sufficient attention as was possible under 
the circumstances. And there, of all other 
places belonging to warfare, is where battle 
horrors reach their climax, the touches of 
sympathy for the suffering are most keenly 
felt, and the bitterest of hate is contracted 
for those who thus disabled our comrades. 

And here I will pause to say that it was 
most difficult oftentimes to tell how a wound 
Avould result, and to tell of an incident that 
occurred in connection with a wounded sol- 
dier when we were in line in front of Atlanta. 

As soon as the field hospital Avas estab- 
lished and the litter bearers began bringing 
in the Avounded, the surgeons would give the 
first attention to those in most danger of dy- 
ing, if they had any hope of saving them, and 
those considered as not being dangerously 
w^ounded would be attended to last. Of 
course Avhere there were more wounded than 
the surgeons could look after carefully and 



FROM TIIK SKAT OF WAR. 1G9 

promptly, some were left unserved until it 
was too late to do them any good, who might 
have been saved from dying if attended 
to at once. It came to be a notable fact 
that a very slight wound, remote from any 
vital organ, often proved fatal, and that a 
most severe wound, which seemed to make 
recovery impossible, would get well. In 
every conceivable way, I might say, were 
men wounded by shot and shell from the en- 
emy; and many died of their wounds who 
it seemed ought to have recovered, while 
many recovered wdiose wounds seemed inev- 
itably fatal. 

Of the incident to which I alluded I will 
now speak. July 22, 1864, the day that Har- 
dee's corps whipped the Yankee's in the aft- 
ernoon on our right, our division was in the 
trenches in front of Atlanta, and so constant- 
ly under fire from the enemy, who, however, 
were not disposed to move against us, that 
we were in danger of being shot if we ex- 
posed ourselves but for a moment. Yan- 
kee shells were also passing over our heads 
into Atlanta, though frequently they would 



170 ^^iPME REBEL KELICS 



burst above us, sending many of their frag- 
ments down among us. Just over a bare hill 
to our rear were some burgeons and a portion 
of our infirmary corps, with arrangements pro- 
vided to care for and protect any that might 
be wounded on the main line. Lieut. James 
II., of the Thirty-fifth Alabama Regiment, at 
that time, as I now recall, a supernumerary 
officer, on account of the consolidation of 
the remnant of his company with another, 
was that day with those beyond the hill, ly- 
ing on the ground not far from our surgeon's 
quarters. Sometime in the forenoon a mes- 
senger came hurriedly from him to me, bear- 
ing the information that lie Avas mortally 
wounded and in a dying condition, and the 
request that I go instantly to him and pray 
for him. The request was promptly complied 
with, though the danger was very great of be- 
ing struck by a shot from the enemy's guns in 
passing to and fro over the untimbered hill. 
I took with me Lieut. B. M. Faris, my ever 
faithful coworker in the religious meetings 
in our command, and who felt the same in- 
terest in Lieut. H. then that I did. "While 



FllOM TIIK SKAT OF WAK. 171 

lying clown a bombshell had burst above him, 
and sent one of its large rugged fragments 
down through his right side just under his 
ribs, opening a great gash into the cavity, 
and severely wounding his liver. The sur- 
geon, having examined the wound, had told 
him that he could do nothing for him, and 
that he could live but a short while. He 
felt that he was not prepared for death 
and the judgment, and w^anted to make such 
preparation as he could, with oiu' assistance, 
the few moments that he had to live. He 
was in great distress of mind and anguish of 
soul, as he contemplated and spoke of his 
lost spiritual condition. He declared that 
he could easily bear his wound and the 
thought of going so soon into eternity if he 
was onl}^ at peace with God. He expressed 
great fears that, having sinned so long, his 
case was now as hopeless in a religious 
sense as it was certain that he would soon be 
dead; and he reproached himself bitterly for 
not having given his heart and life to God 
before he came to the extremity he was then 
in. With regrets and grief he was absolute- 



172 ^>l«iiME llEBEL KELICS 

ly overwhelmed, and was fast yielding to de- 
spair. The gloominess in his case exceeded 
any experience of the kind that ever came 
under my observation. By prayer and song 
and counsel Faris and I eagerly and tearful- 
ly did all that we could to help him to Jesus 
the short while that we could remain with 
him. AYe knew not at what moment the en- 
emy would advance upon our lines, an event 
that was hourly and hopefully looked for, 
and so Ave must return to our regiment as 
quickly as we could. A pause thus in the 
midst of " war's alarms" to encourage a dy- 
ing comrade to trust for salvation in the 
compassionate Saviour of fallen humanity, 
who would not that any should perish, but 
that all should come unto him and live, was 
to Faris and me most touching and profit- 
able, and we rejoiced in the opportunity that 
we had to do him all the good that w^e could. 
We had often talked with and prayed for 
mourners in our religious meetings in camp, 
but we were never before so situated that we 
could render such assistance to one supposed 
to be in a dying condition. We thought we 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 173 

saw some indication of hope come to him be- 
fore we left him. As we were in the act of 
returning to the front the thought occurred 
to me to make a close examination of his 
wound, and I did so. My impression was 
that it would kill him very soon, but that 
there was a possibility of his recovery if he 
could get the attention that he needed, and I 
candidly told him what I thought of his case. 
''O no," said he, ^' I cannot get well under 
any circumstances with this great hole in my 
side, but if the good Lord will but spare my 
life now he shall have every moment of my 
service hereafter." Such was the pledge he 
made voluntarily to God as he in almost ut- 
ter hopelessness confronted eternity. 

After we left him he w^as quietly borne 
away to the hospital, and to the unutterable 
astonishment of most of those who saw his 
wound, in course of time recovered. Did he 
give his heart and life then to God, in keep- 
ing with the vow that he made in the day of 
his calamity? I have never seen him since 
the day that he was wounded, but I have oft- 
ten heard from others since his recovery, and 



174 ^^lOME KEBEL RELICS 

since tlie war ended, that his vow was for- 
gotten when the danger period passed. Alas! 
how often is it thus that man forgets the 
pledges that he makes to God when death is 
imminent, after there is no longer any spe- 
cial fear of dying! 

Returning to the battle scenes and expe- 
riences, I have mentioned that going into 
battle was always a fearful thing to me, and 
that it was none the less so wdiile it contin- 
ued to rage. Life was always dear to me, 
while about death — physical death — there 
ever hung a cloud of gloom. My peace was 
made with God before the war was begun, 
and was maintained throughout it, and hope, 
even in the day of battle, was ever to me as 
" an anchor of the soul, both sure and stead- 
fast, and which entered into that within the 
vail," but the shock of battle and the immi- 
nent peril in which it involved me brought 
to my mind apprehensions of being slain and 
the thought of separation from my family 
wdiich were altogether uncomfortable. What- 
ever might have been the case with any oth- 
ers, it is a fact in mine that the sternest 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 175 

demands of duty impelled me to take up 
arms against Lincoln's invaders. I fought 
from principle, and subjected myself to all 
the dangers of warfare rather than be a will- 
ing bond servant of the bloodthirsty and law- 
less tyrant that we believed Abraham Lin- 
coln to be. Such was the prompting, no 
doubt, of the great body of soldiers who 
fought on the side of the South, bnt in the 
hour of battle they went forward with a va- 
riety of impulses and emotions. There w^ere 
some with whom the sense of danger was so 
oppressive that they had to be literally 
pushed along as we advanced upon the ene- 
my, being overcome by a dread of death, 
which to them was very humiliating; patriots 
they were, nevertheless, and often fought 
like tigers when the battle was fully joined. 
There were those who moved steadily on- 
ward from the opening to the close of the 
engagement, who, though fully recognizing 
their danger almost every moment, were held 
in their places by a sense of self-respect, 
preferring rather to die on the front line than 
dishonor themselves by evading duty of so 



176 '•^^ME REBEL RELICS 

important a kind — the highest duty of the 
soldier. Some despised Yankees with such a 
perfect hatred, and had'such a relish for shoot- 
ing them, that they seemed to regard the bat- 
tlefield as but a grand opportunity for slaugh- 
tering them, seeming actually to forget that 
they themselves were also being shot at. 
Some were constitutionally intrepid, and had 
every appearance of being strangers to fear, 
however furious and bloody the battle miglit 
rage about them. The spirit of patriotism 
and principle possessed others, and support- 
ed them throughout all the phases of the field 
of carnage. It soon came to be a notable 
fact that the fighting men at home, common- 
ly known as " bullies," made the poorest 
show of courage on the battlefield, and that 
those who shrank from personal combat at 
home fought most heroically amidst the 
storm of bullets in war. 

There were those among us, not a great 
many, whose valor w\as chiefly instigated by 
a desire for promotion, and who often rushed 
heedlessly and recklessly into danger in or- 
der to attract attention and come into repute 



rr.oM THE rkat of wak. 177 

as being extraordinarily courageous. To 
what extent their ambitious longings were 
gratified 1 have no means of knowing, but 
there is reason to believe that some who were 
thus actuated to ex[)ose their lives unneces- 
sarily who would not have been killed if 
they had not undertaken to outdo their com- 
rades in the mere exhibitions of gallantly, 
and placed themselves in exposed positions 
when there was no need for them to have 
done so. A lieutenant in the Thirty-fifth 
Alabama Regiment had this morbid longing 
for promotion, and was wont to say that he 
intended to secure promotion for gallantry 
on the field or be slain in the undertaking. 
He was indeed a gallant young officer, and 
thoroughly imbued with the spirit of patriot- 
ism and chivalry, but he would throw him- 
self forward, and out of his proper place in 
the line, as though to urge on his men, when 
no such demonstration was in demand, and 
finally fell in the battle of Franklin, without 
having reached the high goal of his ambition. 
Surel}^ battle is horrible to contemplate, 

and the wonder is that men in any consider- 
12 



178 ^^^OME REBEL RELICS 

able numbers can become nerved for such 
raging conflict and remorseless butchery. 
With all the patriotism, ambition, courage, 
or what not, that men may possess, it is 
doubtless a fact that most of them shudder 
from apprehensions of being slain as they 
move forward into this terrible arena of car- 
nage. Some commanders bethought them- 
selves of what might be called the universal 
dread of the horrors of the battlefield, and 
took advantage of it in throwing their col- 
umns Avith the utmost precipitancy and fury 
against the enemy. Such was unquestiona- 
bly the policy of Gen. N. B. Forrest, our most 
renowned and most successful cavalry chief- 
tain, whenever he struck the Yankees. JN'ot 
long after the close of the war, while he was 
having built a portion of the eastern section 
of the Memphis and Little Rock railroad, I 
traveled with him on a Memphis and St. 
Francis Kiver steamboat from Memphis to 
Madison, a few miles from where his con- 
struction camp was, and had a number of in- 
teresting conversations with him about his 
modes of warfare. I asked him, among va- 



FllOM THE SEAT OF AVAIL 179 

rioiis other questions, how it was that he had 
such uniform success in beating the Yan- 
kees, notwithstanding he fought continually 
against such great odds. He said he con- 
sidered that men, as a rule, regarded with 
horror and consternation the field of battle, 
and that his aim was at the first onset to 
make it appear as shocking to the enemy as 
he possibly could, by throwing his entire 
force against them at once in the fiercest and 
most warlike manner possible. He would 
thus overawe and demoralize the Yankees at 
the very start, and then by a constant repe- 
tition of blows, with unabated fury, to pre- 
vent them from recovering from their con- 
sternation, he would soon have them within 
his power — ^Ivilling, capturing, and driving 
them with but little difficulty. 

Many of our soldiers were not Christians, 
but there were the fewest number of them, 
if any, who were w illing to give any exhibi- 
tions of wickedness during the fight, or to 
have with them any evidences of dissipation. 
If they had whisky in their canteens, it would 
be poured out or left in the rear; and if they 



'>b 



180 sbME KEBEL RELICS 

had cards in their pockets, they wonkl be 
thrown awaj^ They .may not have often 
read the Bibles their mothers and fathers and 
sisters gave them when they enlisted in the 
army, but when an engagement was immi- 
nent these blessed books were slipped into 
the breast pockets of their jackets, often re- 
placing decks of cards, which they carried 
on the march and played with in camp. If 
they shonkl be slain in the fight, it was their 
preference to have God's word in their keep- 
ing when they fell, rather than that they 
should be found dead witli cards in their pos- 
session. And quite often did the Bible be- 
come a life preserver to the soldier that had 
it in his pocket; the bullet striking that, and 
being arrested or glancing off, which would 
otherwise have buried itself in his body. 

It was exceedingly seldom that the com- 
mand to which I belonged fought behind 
breastworks, but we built miles and miles of 
them in the expectation of being attacked by 
the Yankees in them, and it was remarka- 
ble with what facility some of our soldiers 
could do this kind of work. We would dig 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAIi. 181 

long trenches to get into, throwing the dirt 
on the side next the enemy, using also rails 
and other timber against which to mound the 
dirt when it was so that we could. These 
were often exceedingly important for protec- 
tection against the shots of the enemy, 
though the battle be not fully joined, and 
had to be made very hurriedly; and it was 
then particuLarly that the competency of 
some of our men for such work was dis- 
played. These were not noted for timidity 
in battle particularly, but they were some- 
what famous for finding and making hiding 
places from bullets. I see before me a tall, 
athletic man of my company who belonged 
to tliis class carrying a cart load of rails on 
his shoulders and back to make a quick pro- 
tection against Yankee bullets. The dig- 
ging we did with spades and shovels fur- 
nished by the government, and with these 
our specially safety - seeking men could 
'^ bury " themselves out of reacli of immedi- 
ate danger with astonishing rapidity. Other 
soldiers there were who seemed to have no 
talent or energy or care for the woi-k of 



182 ^*i^031E ilEBEL llELICS 

fortifying, and would only go at it like some 
citizens work roads, because they were or- 
dered to do so. 

After all our trench digging and fortifying 
otherwise, we had mainl}^ to do our fighting 
on the open field, or assault the Yankees in 
their fortifications. Had they been as ready 
to move against us as w^e were to advance 
upon them, our hastily constructed breast- 
works would not have deterred them to the 
extent that they did, with their outnumber- 
ing forces, from bringing on the attack. It 
Avas nothing to their credit that they were 
constantly shying around us in our slight 
earthworks; nor that they were four years in 
doing, with their vast armies and resources, 
what they set about to do with one stroke. 
There is certainly no room for boasting to 
the enemies of the South for what they 
achieved, with their 3,000,000 of men to our 
600,000. 

The poisoning of some of our soldiers by 
Grant's doctors or druggists may as well be 
mentioned in this connection. lie captured 
Jackson, Miss., in May, 1863, and some of 



FKOM THE SEAT OF AV All. 183 

the druggists there procured a lot of quiuine 
for us from his medical department before he 
left, which was in a very short while after the 
capture. When we got back to Jackson 
after he left there we procured for the sick of 
our command some of the quinine, which 
was heavily mixed with morphine. This 
note of May 23, 1863, w hile we were at Jack- 
son, was made at the time in my diary : " Hec. 
Thompson, of our regiment, and several other 
men in our brigade are poisoned by taking 
quinine which was left in the drug stores 
here by the Yankees, and which contains a 
large amount of morphine. Two have al- 
ready died, and Hec. looks like he cannot 
possibly live. It is horrible to think that any 
human beings will adopt such a mode of war- 
fare. That, combined with the purposes of 
our enemies, otherw^ise made manifest, con- 
stitutes them the most barbarous and wick- 
ed people on the face of the earth." It was 
understood that arsenic Avas also found in 
some of the quinine which others of our sur- 
geons got hold of. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE line and extent of the movements of 
that portion of the Confederate army with 
which the Thirty-fifth AUibama Regiment 
was connected have ah'eady been hurriedly 
indicated, without pausing at each of the sev- 
eral stages of our various campaigns to note 
everything that transpired in connection with 
our movements. A number of relics of our 
war experience, observation, etc., have been 
gathered up here and there as we went along, 
that seemed worthy of preservation. I now 
wish to drop back on our track again, and 
gather up others that I have purposely left 
till this time. 

After the evacuation of Corinth, May 29, 
1862, the first important stage that we 
reached, so far as we knew, was Vicksburg. 
Here the command remained from the time 
of its arrival, the night of June 28, until July 
27. The place selected for our encampment 

was two miles back from Vicksburg, in a 

(184) 



SOME IlKliEL KELICS. 185 

beautiful cove, covered over with a dense 
carpeting of Bermuda grass, upon which we 
loved to loll and sleep whenever we were in 
camp. Col. liobertson, then commanding 
our regiment, had his tent stretched under 
an enormous cotton wood tree, which, when 
the sun was in a certain position, would 
shade almost our entire encampment. The 
boughs were very large and long, and some 
of them, we were told, served as a gallows 
upon which a number of John A. Murrell's 
murdering and thieving gang were hung in 
other days. 

Vicksburg was then being bombarded ever 
and anon by the Yankee gunboats on the 
Mississippi River, and our business was to 
picket the river above and below the city, 
but principally above. Our encampment was 
out of reach of their shells, but most of our 
time we were on the river, and in easy range 
of them. "We had heavy batteries planted at 
Yicksburg, and sometimes our picket post 
was between them and the enemy's gunboats 
the huge shells from both w^ays passing over 
us, and sometimes bursting above us. The 



186 "^^i^ySlE REBEL RELICS 

falling to the ground of the fragments of 
these exploded shells made a most hideous 
noise as they rushed down through the at- 
mosphere and beat their way into the ground 
about us. Whenever the Yankees would de- 
tect our whereabouts they would be sure to 
treat us to a shelling. This we had to en- 
dure without any chance, with our small 
arms, to return the compliment, or else to 
take another position unknown to them. It 
is a most uncomfortable experience, that of 
enduring a cannonading without any chance 
to move against the battery; and this was 
what was meant by being at Vicksburg 
vdien we were there, so far as military opera- 
tions were concerned. 

It was also a place of flux and mosquitoes. 
A great many of our soldiers had the flux, 
which was generally very severe, and a con- 
siderable number of them died with it. 
"When on picket, the mosquitoes were as in- 
tolerable as it is possible for them to be. 
"We could not have fires in the daytime to 
smoke them off, lest the enemy would see the 
smoke, and thus learn our position, nor at 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 187 

night lest they would see the light; and so, 
having located ns, begin to shell us. A few 
got pieces of mosquito bar to put over their 
faces and hands, but there w^as but little of 
that material to be found. We could fight 
them off in a measure when we were awake 
and on duty, but when we were off duty, and 
an opportunity afforded us to sleep, then it 
w as that they became our diligent and invet- 
erate tormentors. They were not so bad 
back at camp, and there we could smoke 
them off with our fires, but the greater por- 
tion of the time we were out on picket. 

Our gunboat ^^Arkansas " came out of the 
Yazoo River, where it had been constructed, 
into the Mississippi, and down through the 
enemy's fleet to Vicksburg, Tuesday, July 
15. The Yankee commodore, knowing that 
it was coming, put his boats in position to 
sink or capture it, as he supposed; but he 
was sorry enough before the job was over 
with that he had engaged in any such under- 
taking, for two of his boats, we learned, were 
sunk in the conflict and others badly disabled 
by the ^^Arkansas," while the rest of the fleet 



188 ^iftME KEBEL BELICS 

sought safety in flight. We were not in a 
position to see the conflict, though it was no 
great distance from us, but the sound of this 
naval battle of one Confederate against many 
(about twenty, we heard) Yankee boats was 
exceedingly interesting to listen to, the thun- 
der of the heavy guns exceeding any artil- 
lery firing that we had heard up to that time; 
and as soon as we learned the result of the 
engagement we persuaded ourselves that the 
cannonading was musical in a most charming 
sense. 

The "Arkansas" suffered but little, and 
landed for slight repairs at our picket post. 
It was a strange-looking water monster, appar- 
ently made out of railroad iron, and most of 
it beneath the edge of the water. While ly- 
ing here, the second day after its arrival, the 
Yankee fleet began a fierce bombardment of 
it and us, which lasted some time; until, in- 
deed, the "Arkansas " got up steam and start- 
ed up the river, when the Yankees immediate- 
ly ceased firing and hurried away with their 
fleet to safer waters. It was an amusing 
scene to look upon, it having been enacted 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 189 

in full view of us. Those Yankees were not 
yet ready for another encounter with the "Ar- 
kansas." And they were very skittish and 
watchful of their safety the rest of the time 
that we were there. 

A very serious accident occurred in the 
regiment while on picket July 23. A Yan- 
kee bombshell had fallen, without bursting, 
near Company G, the fuse having gone out. 
It was a very large mortar shell. Several of 
the men of that company got hold of it, and 
undertook to empty it, which they thought 
they did. Strangely enough, to be sure, they 
then put fire into the shell, which produced 
an explosion, by which one of the men was 
killed and several others wounded. 

July 24, w^e move our camp to " four-mile 
bridge," south of Vicksburg, on the AYarren- 
ton road. Here we were in a beautiful grass 
meadow, but were without our tents, and ex- 
posed to the heaviest dews I ever saw. We 
only remained here a short while, however. A 
sick camp was temporarily established here, 
and put in my charge for the time being. 
About 12 o'clock, July 20, two ladies in a ba- 



190 ^^o 



ME REBEL RELICS 



rouche drove up near the encampment with 
some provisions for tjie sick. Attached to 
the large basket containing the provisions 
was a card npon which was inscribed the 
name of " Miss Mollie DeFrance." It de- 
volved upon me to meet the ladies, take the 
basket in hand, and thank Miss DeFrance 
for it. It seemed to me that it had been an 
age since I had been in the company of ladies, 
and it really embarrassed me no little to un- 
dertake to express to them our gratitude for 
their thonghtfiil generosity. A nicer pre- 
pared and more ample supply of delicacies I 
have never seen in one basket, and they came 
at the most appropriate time possible. They 
Avere divided out Avith much care among the 
sick soldiers, and refreshed both their bodies 
and spirits very much. As I remember, Miss 
DeFrance furnished the provisions, and had 
the other young lady, wiiose name I cannot 
recall, to come along with her as company. 
Both were quite intelligent and modest, and 
thoroughly Southern in sentiment. The for- 
mer I mention in my diary as the " curly- 
haired Rebel," her hair being arranged in 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 191 

very tasty ringlets. That was July 26, 1862. 
We cannot but hope that only good fortune 
has befiillen this fair benefactress of those 
sick soldiers, and her companion, all these 
years since then. 

Breckenridge's Division, to which the Thir- 
ty-fifth Alabama Regiment still belonged, was 
sent from Yicksburg to Baton Rouge to 
whip some Yankees at that place, which it 
did very effectually August 5. The full 
purpose of that movement and what was 
gained by that victory were only conjec- 
tural to those of no higher rank than I was. 
By very hard fighting in this battle the Thir- 
ty-fifth Alabama saved the gallant Third and 
Seventh Kentucky Regiments from being 
flanked by the enemy, and ever after there 
was a specially strong attachment between 
our regiment and the Kentuckians of our 
brigade. But all the regiments of our brigade 
were strongly attached to each other, and 
there was perfect mutual confidence among 
them whenever they moved together in line 
of battle against the enemy. 

Other movements and events than those 



192 ^"^I^^ME HET5EL RELICS 



heretofore mentioned need not be noted from 
hei'e on until after the battle of Corinth, Oc- 
tober 3, 4. The evening of the hist day of 
the fight, our brigade, Gen. Rust command- 
ing, dropped back eight miles and camped 
for the night. The next day, Sunday, Octo- 
ber 5, and until late at night, we were har- 
assed by the Yanlvces, Avho seemed bent on 
cutting off our retreat or capturing our wagon 
trains. It was the first hurried retreat that 
we had yet been subjected to, and a day of ex- 
cessive weariness to us. It was at times a 
kind of running fight, but the Yankees ac- 
complished nothing that they undertook. 
Gen, Price, in front, gave them a setback at 
Tuscumbia Creek, Avhere they were trying 
to intercept us, and also at Ilatchie Kiver, 
farther on. We hurried forward to reenforce 
him at both these places, but the Yankees re- 
tired before we could reach him. Gen. Bo wen 
Avas in the rear on the march, and succeeded 
in ambushing the pursuing Yankees and cut- 
ting them badly to pieces. The probability 
is that they intended heading us off at one 
of the bridges across the above-named 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 193 

streams, and then crush us with their main 
army, which, having been hirgely reenforced 
two days (or nights rather) previous, was 
then very much larger than ours, and follow- 
ing close upon our heels. Our commanders 
were determined not to risk a general en- 
gagement if they could avoid it, but managed 
to do the Yankees uo little hurt before the 
day was over and they had called off their 
war dogs. There were, however, various re- 
ports Monday and Tuesday of the approach- 
es of the enemy, and as we neared Kipley, a 
town on our route, we formed in line of battle 
for a fight, but no " blue coats " were to be 
seen. Our retreat continued to be rapid un- 
til AYednesday, and we at last concluded that 
Van Dorn was managing things badly. In my 
diary of Tuesday I said: " AYe are of the opin- 
ion that Van Dorn is running us very unnec- 
essarily, and that if even the Yankees are 
trying to overtake us, which we doubt, we 
can whip them." Wednesday we made a 
pushing march of over twenty miles, and 
camped on the Holly Springs road within 

eighteen miles of that place. This day w'e 
13 



194 "^^OME REBEL KELICS 



were almost destitute of rations, and our pro- 
vision wagons did not come up at night, so 
that we were indeed * in a very bad fix for 
sometliing to eat. It was the time of the year 
for sweet potatoes, and Col. Robertson sent 
out a detail of men to procure some of them 
from the citizens. We got in a good supply, 
and having roasted and eaten them, we lay 
down on our pallets for the night with full 
stomachs, the first time we had had a filling 
of anything for several days. AVe had a hab- 
it of giving names to our camping places gen- 
erally, and having remained here and eaten 
potatoes until 4 o'clock the next evening, we 
called this place " Camp Potato." 

Friday we went into Holly Springs through 
mud and i*ain, arriving there a short while be- 
fore dark, and taking quarters in the arsenal, 
where a number of large fires had already 
been built for us to w^arm and dry by, for it 
WHS a very cold rain Avhich had fallen upon 
us. Upon the builders of those fires Ave 
showered many blessings. 

Our retreat from the " Mouth of Tippah," 
Miss., was an occasion which impressed it- 



FllOM THE SKAT OF WAll. 195 

self very forcibl}^ upon us, as one of special 
weariness and clisagreeableness. A battle 
was thought to be imminent several days be- 
fore we left there, owing to certain demon- 
strations of the enemy and the instructions 
that Ave received from time to time from our 
commanders. AVe left there Sunday, ]N^o- 
vember 30, 1862, at 8 o'clock at night. 
Just before leaving we were ordered to build 
up our camp lires, making them larger than 
usual. The object of this was to deceive the 
enemy as to our plans, making them believe, 
"if so be," that we had no thought of retir- 
ing from our position. "We were not sus- 
pecting any such movement, but rather that 
preparations for a fight were being made, and 
were amazed wdien Col. Goodwin told the 
company officers to be very careful to keep 
the men in ranks; that we were on a retreat. 
We wondered wdiy this was, and concluded 
that the enemy were in much greater force 
than we w^ere, or that w^e had been outgen- 
eraled by them, the latter opinion being the 
prevailing one among the soldiers. 

"We had gone but a short distance from 



196 "^NlOME REBEL RELICS 

camp when it commenced raining in torrents, 
and continued to do so far into the night. 
The moon was nearly full, and made light 
enough through the clouds to enable us to 
see the general outline of the command and 
the route over which we marched, but we 
could not see the bad places in the road, 
which, it seemed to us, were legion. We 
were constantly stepping into holes, wagon 
ruts perhaps, and stumbling against one an- 
other, or falling down in the mud and water. 
Early in the night we had to wade a deep, 
muddy creek, which had been much swollen 
by the heavy rain, and which really present- 
ed a very frightful appearance. The moon 
went down just before day, and not till then 
did our night march end. We then built up 
fence rail fires, there being no other chance 
for fire, and took a short nap on the w^et 
ground, which was a very sweet rest to us. 
As to keeping the men in ranks on such a 
march as that, it was altogether out of the 
question. They could not but fall out, and 
pick their own way to get along with any 
degree of facility. 



FIJOM THE SEAT OF WAII. 197 

After our brief rest we resumed our march 
and went nine miles below Oxford ou the 
Coffeeville road. In my diary I say: " Last 
night and to-day is the severest march we 
have ever had." I say furthermore: " .^ow 
I know that rest is sweet." The general sal- 
utation of the men to each other next day 
was: "How many times did you fall down 
last night? " The frequency with w^hich they 
fell, and the manner in which they staggered 
along and tumbled down through the night 
Avas a source of merry conversation and jest- 
ing among the men, which supported us no 
little on our march during the day. 

Onward we went, without particular hurry, 
halting more or less each day and camping 
every night, until we reached Grenada Sun- 
day, December 7. We formed into line of bat- 
tle several times on the route, with the expec- 
tation of engaging the enemy; and we were 
required to keep our men in ranks from day 
to day, so that we could be ready for battle 
in a moment at any time. On December 3 
Gen. Lovell notified our immediate command 
that w^e might be ordered some distance back 



198 '••^aOME KEBEL IIELICS 



to check the advance of the Yankees, which 
did not become necessary, however, and that 
day Gen. Price beat tliem back in the vicin- 
ity of CofFeeville, captnring six pieces of 
their artillery. We went regularly into camp 
near Grenada December 8, 1862, and remained 
there till January 31, 1863, when we went to 
Jackson, from wdiich place we started on our 
fall campaign September 11, 1862. 

We went from Tangipahoa to Jackson 
August 28, and on the next day I noted in 
my diary: "Arrangments are being made 
while at this place to clothe and pay the sol- 
diers, preliminary, as is believed, to a gen- 
eral northern movement." Such was the im- 
pression that got out among the soldiers, and 
when we left there September 11 we went 
northward, but our operations did not extend 
beyond ]N"orthern Mississippi, except that one 
day we chased the Yankees to Bolivar, Tenn., 
and at Grenada we rounded up. 

As has heretofore been stated, we w^ere at 
Port Hudson, La., from March 3 to April 5, 
1863. This place, on the Mississippi Kiver, 
Avas strongly fortified, and commanded the 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAII. 199 

mouth of Red lliver, out of which our sup- 
plies were hirgcly brought. As our batteries 
at Yicksbui'g- were keeping the enemy's gun- 
boats above there, so w^ere our batteries at 
this phace keeping them below here, so that 
we had control of the river between these 
two points, thought to be of considerable ad- 
vantage to us. The Yankees w^ere anxious 
to command the whole liver, all of which they 
had except this portion of it, and there was 
reason to believe that they were arranging 
to move in force against Port Hudson when 
we were ordered there to reenforce the troops 
already there. Yankee Gen. Banks Avas 
collecting a large land force at Baton Rouge, 
below here, to cooperate with the naval force, 
wdiich was being constantly strengthened, 
and our business w^as to withstand the land 
force when it came. 

As we approached Amite River, February 
27, on our w^ay to Port Hudson, the tedium 
of the march was much relieved by a Avading 
frolic that Ave had across a broad slough, 
much sw^ollen by the heavy rains of the day 
before, just before reaching the river bridge. 



200 ^^tOME KEBEL RELICS 

The water was too deep for the wagons to 
pass through without coming high up in their 
beds; and the men were ordered to take out 
of the wagons, and carry over on their 
shoulders, such things as would be damaged 
by getting wet. Back and forth they yell- 
ingly went from bank to bank of the slough, 
until the wagons w^ere sufficiently unloaded 
to pass over; a number of men, however, 
thoughtlessly carrying over first their pots 
and ovens, which were really needed in the 
wagon beds to keep them from floating, and 
which of course would not be damaged by 
water, iustcad of their bedding, clothing, etc. 
This performance of theirs caused much 
merriment among their w^ading comrades, 
and so made the labor less tiresome to them. 
Then came the fun of getting the wagons 
over, which were then for the first time being 
pulled by oxen; and fun it was, as soldiers 
went on either side of them to keep their 
heads in the right direction, and of the wag- 
ons to keep the beds from floating off*, pro- 
pelling the unwilling teams forward into the 
deep water, which they must needs swim in 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 201 

part, until they had crossed them to the other 
bank. Such ^^ gee-haws" and " \\ o-comes " 
never rang out on that atmosphere befoi-e, 
and no alternative was left to those oxen but 
to go forward, however incomprehensible to 
them may have been the commands of the 
numerous and boisterous teamsters. The 
oxen may not have enjoyed this procedure, 
but the men did; and onward we took our 
march with more elastic step because of its 
occurrence. 

During our stay at Port Hudson the Yan- 
kees made their biggest effort to capture it 
Saturday night, March 14, the bombardment 
from their navy beginning about 11 o'clock. 
The Third Kentucky and Thirty-fifth Ala- 
bama Regiments Avere formed in line of 
battle, one to support the other alternately 
as necessity required, some distance in front 
of the fortifications, to hold in check and 
harass the approaching land force under 
Gen. Banks until the time came for us to fall 
back to our places in the trenches. The 
cooperative plans of the Yankees did not 
work well for several reasons, one of which 



202 ^>HrtME KEBEL KELICS 

was that Banks did not come to time to ac- 
complish his part of the joint undertaking. 

I say in my diary of that day: "The en- 
emy's land force are said to be close at hand, 
and it is thought that there will certainly be 
a general fight to-morrow." Possibly Banks 
was waiting for daylight to come, and until 
the fleet did Avhat it was to do, but failed in 
the undertaking. To the Confederates the 
occasion was a most interesting and memo- 
rable one, though the enemy's shot and shell 
fell thickly about us for some time. It was 
the purpose of the Yankee Commodore to 
overcome our batteries with those on his 
boats, so that he could pass a portion of his 
fleet by them and above Port Hudson, so as 
to gain an important advantage of us. With 
this undertaking accomplished, he could co- 
operate beautifully with Banks when the day 
broke. 

It was the heaviest artillery thunder that 
we ever heard, transcending by far the naval 
engagement between the "Arkansas " and the 
Yankee fleet above Vicksburg. Being as 
much exposed to it as we were made it de- 



FlIOM THE SEAT OF WAU. 203 

cidedly terrific, though our adnriratioii of its 
grandeur raised us above the fear of danger. 
We could track the shells by their burning 
tapers, and the atmosphere was crowded with 
them, going to and fro, and flying high and 
low. A glare of light would accompany ev- 
ery shell explosion, many of which often oc- 
curred at the same time, and in every con- 
ceivable position these explosions occurred. 
Frequently the shell would not explode until 
it had sunk itself deep down in the soft, sandy 
earth; then out of the ground would come its 
boom and blaze, as though it had been shot 
from below. In attempting to pass our bat- 
teries one of their boats was captured and 
one Avas set on fire. The latter floated back 
down the river, aff'ording us a degree of de- 
lightful entertainment, until day began to 
dawn, which cannot be told. It had on it a 
magazine and many piles of shells, and of 
course the men on it forsook it as soon as 
they could. The light of the fire was plainly 
seen as the current carried the burning boat 
leisurely downstream, and when it reached 
one of the piles of shells the light and thun- 



204: "^^NiLOME llEBEL liELICS 



der of the combined explosions would excite 

our unmeasured admiration. The length of 

• 
time between these explosions was exactly 

enough to keep up and enhance more and more 
our interest in the charming pyrotechnic pro- 
cedure. It effectually cleared the river of all 
other Yankee boats, which, under a full head 
of steam, sought safety in precipitate flight. 
The whole performance looked as though 
the Yankees had gotten up an entertainment 
for us of the most pleasing character, and 
were doing their utmost to make it as much 
so as possible. Finally, the fire reached the 
magazine on the boat, and produced an ex- 
plosion which made the ground tremble where 
we were, and gave us almost the light of noon- 
day just as day was on the eve of breaking. 
Then the curtain dropped, and that charming 
nocturnal naval entertainment came to a close. 
What became of Yankee Doodle Banks, 
with his cooperating land force? In my di- 
ary of Tuesday following this record is made: 
" Gen. Rust, commanding our brigade, sent 
for his regimental commanders to-day to go 
with him down on the Baton Rouge road, over 



FROM tup: seat of WAIl. 205 

wliich Biinks came and went, and they went 
within eleven miles of that place. Col. Good- 
win, of our regiment, says the Yankees had a 
real Bull Kun stampede. They thought their 
burning boat, as it floated down stream, was 
our fleet in pursuit of theirs. They also 
heard that Stonewall Jackson was at Tangi- 
pahoa with sixty thousand troops, with w hich 
to reenforce us. The whole Yankee army 
had started up here w ith everything needful 
for a big fight. Consternation took hold of 
them, and they made a most precipitate re- 
treat back to Baton Rouge, destroying many 
ambulances and wagons in- their haste lest 
they fiiU into our hands, as they feared, and 
tearing up the bridges behind them to retard 
our supposed pursuit of them. The road w^as 
strewn with numberless fragments of broken 
army vehicles of various sorts and sizes, to- 
gether with many knapsacks, blankets, and 
guns that had been thrown down to facilitate 
speed. Such was the farce being enacted 
by Banks wdiile we were wondering wdiy he 
was so slow to press upon our lines with his 
devouring host. 



206 '^^fcSOME KEBEL RELICS 



Madam Kumor, the only female who went 
along with our army, came to our camp 
March 25, as was her daily wont, and in- 
formed us that Abe Lincoln, the King of 
^ortherndom, having become disgusted with 
the feebleness of Banks and his army as war- 
riors, had signified his intention to remove 
the entire Yankee force from Baton Rouge, 
and replace it by 15,000 Yankee women, 
with which to take Port Hudson. Mrs. Eu- 
mor did not tell us who would lead these 
feminine warriors, of masculine persuasions, 
against us, but the presumption w^as that 
Old Abe purposed commanding them in per- 
son, for the gratification that he would expe- 
rience in making Banks feel as diminutive as 
possible for not being able to do with a large 
army of men what he could do with a com- 
paratively small army of women. 

There were plenty of female hyenas in hu- 
man form north of the Ohio River in those 
days, whose hatred for the South Avas more 
than Satanic, if possible, and doubtless Lin- 
coln could have gathered together his 15,000 
of them in a moment or two after notice was 



FllOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 207 

given that he wanted them for military serv- 
ice in Louisiana. Tliat they would also 
have exploded the Confederate garrison at 
Port Hudson, in one way or another, we 
stood not in doubt at the time. 

The evening after the bombardment, as we 
started out to camp, which was then in a 
magnolia forest, there began to fall a tre- 
mendous rain, which soon came down upon 
us like a waterspout, and presently the 
" heavenly artillery " began all about us in 
such rapid and terrific volleys '^ as to put to 
shame " as I say in my diary, " the bombard- 
ment of last night." The wind was very 
strong also, breaking to pieces the magnolia 
trees in every direction and blowing one 
down now and then, causing us to feel that 
we were in a very insecure position, though 
out of range of Yankee bullets. We gener- 
ally looked for a ^'thunder storm" after a 
heavy battle, especially when there Avas 
much artillery firing, but this was the most 
complete success in that line that we had at 
any time. 

Quite a number of Yankee deserters came 



208 '■^^ME REBEL RELICS 

into our lines at Port Hudson during our 
stay there, and gave as their excuse for 
leaving their army that they would not sa- 
lute negro officers. They said they loved 
the Union as well as ever, but that they did 
not enlist in the interest of negroes. They 
were out and out against negro equality, and 
much more so against negro supremacy. 
There were doubtless many such soldiers in 
the ]S"orthern army, so far as their feelings 
toward the negroes were concerned, and who, 
thougli they w^ould not desert, regretted that 
they had ever enlisted. 

The Yankee authorities expected to 
strengthen their armies very greatly by arm- 
ing our negroes against us; but, although 
they enlisted a large number into their serv- 
ice, they proved to be very poor fighters, and 
became a source of weakness rather than of 
strength. The wiiole negro population would 
have been armed and turned loose upon the 
unarmed citizens and women of the Southern 
Confederacy, if the negroes had been w illing 
to rise up against them, and the Yankees 
could have had an opportunity of supplying 



FIIOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 209 

them with arms. Such was the disposition 
of our enemies toward our Southland, as was 
made evident in too many ways to leave a 
doubt of it in the mind of any intelligent 
Southerner; and it was doubtless expected 
by them that Lincoln's emancipation procla- 
mation would be the occasion of a general 
negro insurrection, and the wholesale butch- 
ery of unprotected Southern whites. 

While at Port Hudson our sugar rations 
Vvere nnusually large, we being in, or adja- 
cent to, a sugar-producing region. AYe had 
more, indeed, than we could well use for eat- 
ing purposes. To get as much benefit of it 
as we could, having made so-called coffee 
out of one thing and another for a long time, we 
finally made coffee out of sugar. It was ex- 
tremely seldom that genuine coffee was seen 
in the South anywhere at that time, and the 
housekeepers in every direction had fallen 
upon vai'ious expedients to furnish themselves 
with coftee substitutes, which went by the 
name of coffee. Parched rye, ground and 
boiled, came into more general use than any 

other substitute. Parched wheat was also 
14 



210 ""^^OME REBEL RELICS. 

used a good deal, and had a much more 
pleasant odor than the rye '^ coffee " had. 
Sweet potato " coffee " came into use after 
the others did, and became quite popular. 
They were cat up into little pieces about the 
size of a grain of corn and dried in the snn. 
These pieces were then parched and ground, 
and otherwise prepared as coffee is. This 
was a very pleasant beverage, and had rath- 
er more the appearance of good coffee than 
the others did. In the army we made our 
coffee out of parched meal mainly. At Port 
Hudson we tried parched sugar, wdiich was 
the best of all substitutes that I had ever 
seen; the color and odor and flavor resem- 
bling coffee in a surprising manner. Of 
course we dropped this substitute when we 
left the sugar region. 



CHAPTEE X. 



WE did not know what was contemplated 
b}^ our chief commanders when we 
were marched away from Port Hudson April 
5, 1863; but the next time we felt the Yan- 
kees on the field was at the battle of Ba- 
ker's Creek, Miss., the 16th of the next 
month. When we did not have positive in- 
formation as to where we were going, and 
the object of our movement, when we were 
ordered away from a place we would do a 
great deal of conjecturing on the subject, 
and dig up, one way and another, a good 
many facts npon which to base our conclu- 
sions. Sometimes we would hit upon the 
plans of the generals, and sometimes we 
wonld miss them, but we would be sure to 
develop a campaign of some sort in our minds, 
and I think we oftener hit than missed, as I 
now recall, what was aimed at by our com- 
manders. We also had a way of passing 

judgment npon, to ns, unsatisfactory mov^e- 

(211) 



212 ^>>OME REBEL KELICS 

ments, and crediting ourselves right often 
with better generalship than those under 
whose orders we w^ere acting. And to this 
day I am clearly of the belief that there were 
privates not a few in our array who could 
have done better as leaders than some who, 
at times, were in the lead; albeit, as a rule, 
our officers were the best that the world ever 
produced. 

After we had entered upon the march from 
Port Hudson we soon learned that we were 
going as far, at least, as Jackson, Miss., 
but we attached no particular importance 
to that fact, as that place w^as gener- 
ally on our way to somewhere else; the 
important question with us was, "Where will 
we go when we get to Jackson? Somehow, 
I cannot now remember, the impression got 
into our minds that we were on our w^ay to 
Tennessee; and sure enough that w^as where 
W'C were going. As has been heretofore 
stated, we were ordered back when wg 
reached Chattanooga, and were soon at Jack- 
son and in the Big Black region again. 

The battle of Baker's Creek was fought 



FROM THE SEAT OF AYAli. 213 

very soon after the first visit of the Yankees 
to Jackson. Grant had managed to get his 
army on the east side of the Mississippi Kiv- 
er below Vicksburg, and made his way to 
Jackson with but little difficulty, only being 
slightly hindered by a comparatively very 
small force, nnder Gen. Bowen, at one point 
on his march. It seemed that Gen. Pember- 
ton, then in command of that department, 
could not divine what Grant's designs were, 
and so did not undertake to intercept him on 
his way to Jackson. 

I presume that Grant had then no particular 
lar use for Jackson, only for the enhancement 
of his own greatness, the liallelujali effect it 
would certainly produce in the military and 
civil domains of Abe Lincolu, and the possi- 
bly depressing impression it would make 
upon our armies and the people of the South 
generally. In some ears it would sound like 
a very big thing for a Yankee army to occu- 
py the capital of the great secession state of 
Mississippi, and home of the President of the 
Southern Confederacy. " The backbone of 
the rebellion is now broken," would be the 



214 ''^^pME REBEL RELICS 



ringing proclamation that would be made 
throughout the whole extent of Lincolndom, 
and the recruiting of 'the Northern armies 
would set in afresh, that the spoils might not 
all be gathered up before the}^, the new re- 
cruits, could get a grab at our possessions. 

Having marched into Jackson, Grant then 
set his face toward Vicksburg, and at Ba- 
ker's Creek we disputed his way as best we 
could w4th an insufficient force of three di- 
visions under Pemberton; the division com- 
manders being Stephenson, Bowen, and Lo- 
ring. After a pretty much all day fight, of 
greater or less severity, and more or less gen- 
eral from time to time, we were ordered late 
in the evening to fall back in the direction of 
Vicksburg. 

Among those who fell that day was Adju- 
tant George Hubbard, of our regiment, a 
very particular friend of mine. He was shot 
through the head and borne by the litter 
bearers from the field just as we were about 
to change our position for the last time be- 
fore retiring. They continued to bear him 
along, dividing themselves into two reliefs, 



FliOM THE SEAT OF AVAR. 215 

in the hope of getting* his remains where 
they conkl he shipped to his family in North 
Alabama; but soon night came on as the re- 
treating march continued, with the enemy 
pressing close upon us; and the litter bearers, 
becoming too much fatigued to carry their 
precious burden farther, hiid the lifeless form 
of Georg-e Hubbard in a hole which the torn- 
np roots of a fallen tree had made, just as he 
had fallen in battle, and pulled the dirt over 
him with their bauds and knives and sticks. 
This I learned from John Hudgins, one of 
the litter bearers and a member of my com- 
pany. Did ever a soldier have a more hon- 
orable burial? 

It was understood among* us just before 
the battle was begun that Gen. Joseph E. 
Johnston had arrived at Canton with two di- 
visions of the Army of Tennessee, and that 
he had sent a courier through the previous 
night to Pemberton with instructions not 
to make a fight with Grant with his inade- 
quate force, and to join armies as quickly as 
possible with him at Canton. It was also 
understood that the division commanders, and 



216 ^^J^l I I llEBEL KJiLIOS 

especially Gen. Loring, urged Gen. Pember- 
ton to give heed to Gen. Johnston's instrnc- 
tions, but that Peniberton '' took the bit be- 
tween his teeth," and determined to make 
the fight upon his own judgment and at all 
hazards. To have drawn off his army just 
then from Grant's front, in keepiug with 
Johnston's plans, Avould have been to have 
given away Vicksburg, to be sure; but fol- 
lowing his own counsels, he gave away on 
the 4th of July followiug both Vicksburg 
and his army, Loring's Division excepted. 

Loring, having determined not to regard 
Pemberton's order to fall back to Big Black 
bridge and Vicksburg, determined when the 
Baker's Creek fight was over to take his di- 
vision to Jackson, if possible, and report to 
Johnston, who was not far above there and 
near Canton. We had been on our feet 
pretty much all day, and had made a very 
rapid movement for some distance from right 
to left on the line bnt a sliort while before the 
day was lost, and so were very weary when 
night came on ; but, for all that, we l^egun 
onr march to Jackson as night came on, and 



FllOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 217 

continued in motion until nearly G o'clock 
the next evening, resting only a moment or 
two at a time, w ith unusually long intervals 
between the rests. It was very severe on us 
— being thirty-six consecutive hours on our 
feet — but the movement was necessary for 
our safety. The enemy harassed us for a 
time, and tried to head us off, but failed to do 
us any hurt. On such a march as this was 
there were always many stragglers, as we 
called them — men who dropped out of the 
ranks to rest, and so fell behind the moving 
column. In one instance the Yankee cav- 
alry rushed upon our rear, doubtless to throw 
the column into confusion that they might 
overcome us, but our stragglers threw them- 
selves into line of battle and beat them at 
their own game, killing several and taking a 
number of iM'isoners. Loring said he had the 
best stragglers in the world, and that he 
wanted no better rear guard than they were. 
After the first day of our march Ave had no 
further trouble with the Yankees. 

When starting on this retreat we were 
taken across fields and through the woods in 



218 ""^^ME IIEBEL llELICS 

a southeastern direction, aiming for Cr3^stal 
Springs, below Jackson, taking this circuit- 
ous route because there Avas no direct Avay 
open to us. AYe carried our artillery as far 
as we could; but when darkness had fully 
come on, and we were marching through 
roadless woods, it had to be left. The wag- 
ons were with the rest of Pemberton's army, 
and were soon shut up in Vicksburg, to be- 
come the property of Grant before long. 
To be without our wagons was to be with- 
out our supplies of every sort, except 
what we ourselves carried; but in our case at 
this time we were unusually destitute, having 
thrown pretty much all of our luggage in the 
wagons in anticipation of the fight, many of 
the men putting their coats and jackets in 
the wagons also. Besides the guns and car- 
tridge boxes, with only the cartridges that 
were left over after the fight, the men had 
nothing but their haversacks, which con- 
tained but a small remnant of their rations 
for the day of the fight, and their canteens. 
In a very little while every crumbof our pro- 
visions was consumed, and there was no 



FKOM TJIK SEAT OF WAU. 219 

chance to supply ourselves with anything 
from the surrounding- country until the 
danger line of our march had been passed; 
and after that it required much time for the 
commissary to hunt up supplies of food and 
issue it out in rations. We necessarily did 
long foisting, but the men were not demoral- 
ized in any sense; for they had all confidence 
in the leadership of Gen. Loring, to whom 
they were also very strongly attached. 

When we began to gather in supplies we 
were put to some trouble about cooking 
them, especially the bread, as our cooking 
utensils, such as they were, were in our wag- 
ons. In making our meal into dough, with 
w^ater and salt, our mess used hickory bark 
as a tray, but some of the men used their 
hats. Of course we either had to make " ash 
cakes," or spread the dough on a piece of 
bark, or plank when it could be got, and 
hold it to the fire until it w^as baked. 

We reached Jackson shortly after noon 
May 20, and marched on through to our 
camp, five miles above there on the Canton 
road. As we marched along the street, 



220 '"^'^^ME 1IE13EL KELICS 

buckets of water were brought us by the cit- 
izeus, who also handed us large quantities of 
the best quality of chewing tobacco. 

The Yankees, ever faithful to their spite- 
ful and unscrupulous methods of warfare, had 
destroyed much property by fire and other- 
wise, and insulted the citizens of Jackson 
without stint. The Jacksonians never loved 
Kebel soldiers so well before, as they did aft- 
er they had had some experience with blue- 
coated Yankees. 

From the time that Loring's Division re- 
ported to Johnston after the battle of Baker's 
Creek until the fall of Vicksburg it was un- 
derstood among the rank and file of our com- 
mand, as has already been indicated, that our 
movements in the Big Black region had ref- 
erence to the release, if possible, of Gen. 
Pemberton from the web which Grant was 
gradually weaving about hiui in the Vicks- 
burg trap. Quickly following the surrender 
of Pemberton were the battles and skirmish- 
es at Jackson, and then the quiet retreat of 
our army along the line of the Southern rail- 
road as far as Morton. In winter quarters 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAll. 221 

at Canton next, and from there to Demopolis, 
Ala., from which point the Twenty-seventh 
and Thirty-fifth Akibama Regiments were 
sent to ^N^orth Alabama on a recrniting expe- 
dition before becoming incorporated into the 
Army of Tennessee, under Gen. Johnston, in 
Georgia. These two regiments were raised 
in the section of the State to which they were 
ordered, and gathered np qnite a number of 
recruits before leaving there for Georgia. 

During the time that we w^ere on this re- 
cruiting expedition in IS^orth Alabama there 
occurred a military incident, in which we 
were " party of the first part," and some Yan- 
kees " party of the second part," and which 
was exceedingly pleasing to us, though alto- 
gether uncomfortable to them. "We got in- 
formation, while in the vicinity of Tuscum- 
bia, that some Yankees were camping on Mr. 
Jack Peters's premises, north of the Ten- 
nessee River, and not a great way from the 
river, though I forget the exact distance, and 
Cols. Jackson and Ives determined to bag 
them, if they could, with the portions of their 
regiments that were then in camp. Jackson 



222 ^^H)ME REBEL RELICS 

commanded the Twenty-seventh and Ives 
the Thirty-fifth Regiment, and the former 
was senior colonel. The evening of April 
12, 1864, we marched to Tuscumbia Landing, 
opposite an island in the river, and at sun- 
down we began crossing in two ferryboats, 
one of which was small and indifferent, over 
to the island. The boats then had to go 
around to the other side of the island, and 
take us to the north bank of the river, and it 
took them till midnight to do so. They were 
so long in going around that we feared some 
accident had befallen them, and that our ex- 
pedition would explode in its incipiency; in- 
deed, having seen some rockets go up from 
w^here we supposed the Yankee pickets were, 
w^e became afraid that our movement was 
known to them, and that they Avere signaling 
their main force to cut us off. Finally, how^- 
ever, we w^ere over the river, and after climb- 
ing np a high, steep, rugged bluff bank, we 
went as quietly as Ave could across the open 
fields to wdiere Mr. Peters lived, and in whose 
barn lot the Yankees were camped. A short 
distance from where they were, w^e formed in 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WvVll. 22^5 

line of battle, and rushed upon them, captur- 
ing them with the utmost ease, only two or 
three guns being fired, occasioned by the 
Yankee sentinel shooting off his gun. They 
were on their pallets in the lot, except some 
that were in the barn and in the family resi- 
dence, and their horses were haltered in the 
fence corners, stables, etc. It was but the 
w^ork of a moment, and we had the whole 
'' lay out " bulked together, and under guard. 
It was Company G, of the Ninth Ohio Cavalry, 
and known as the "White Horse Company," 
all the men being mounted on wdiite or gray 
horses. It w^as a decidedly healthy-looking 
lot of Yankees and horses. There were also 
some very good beef cattle and mules along. 
It was nearly day Avhen we made this cap- 
ture, and it w^as very important for our safe- 
ty that w^e get to the south side of the river 
again as soon as possible. This we did with- 
out molestation from the enemy from any oth- 
er quarter, carrying with us a good supply 
of Yankees, horses, mules, cattle, guns, sa- 
bers, saddles, etc. I relieved the bugler of 
his bugle, which is still kept in the family as 



224: -^-^^OME REBEL RELICS 



an army relic. A fine sword and belt and 
pair of spurs I also took, but have since 
lost. 

It seemed that in our hurry to get back 
across the river Ave were about to go away 
without the captain, when Col. Ives learned 
that he and one or tw^o other officers were 
quartered in the family residence. Taking a 
small guard with him, Col. Ives, lantern in 
hand, rushed into the room where they were, 
finding them still asleep, notwithstanding 
what had just transpired in the barn lot. He 
aroused them from their slumbers and 
dreams of conquest and Itebcl scalps to the 
wakeful consciousness of the fact that they 
were in the gentle grasp of chivalrous South- 
rons. The captain made the Masonic sign of 
distress, thinking that his life was in imme- 
diate peril. Col. Ives answered him that he 
was in no danger of personal violence, but 
that his presence was needed instanter with- 
in the Rebel lines. 

"While in North Alabama, quite a number 
of us who were members of the Buford 
Lodge of Masons, for which a special army 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 225 

dispensation had been granted, took the 
Ciiapter and several side degrees at Court- 
hxnd, where the Chapter was of which Mr. 
Baker was High Priest. We regarded this 
as a rare opportunity of advancing in Mason- 
ry, and Mr. Baker, a very thorough Mason, in 
assisting us in our preparation for the sever- 
al degrees, which had to be taken in unusual- 
ly quick succession, as we were not long in 
Courtland. Besides taking the Chapter de- 
grees myself, I also took the following side 
degrees, conferred by Mr. Baker: Monitor, 
Kniglit of Constantine and Holy Virgin. 
These last were taken April 19. The Chap- 
ter degrees — Mark Master, Past Master, Most 
Excellent Master, and Royal Arch— were ta- 
ken April 21 and 22. 

"We enjoyed our army Masonry very much, 
and frequently had meetings of our Lodge. 
Capt. Martin was our Worshipful Master, and 
could conduct the work of the Lodge as well 
as any one I ever saw. We could always 
get the use of a Masonic Hall when we were 
camped near where one was, and the local 

members took special delight in meeting 
15 



226 ^*"^^OME REBEL RELICS 



with us; the war, however, had scattered 
most of the Lodge memhers. 

It was a very frequent occurrence with 
wounded sokliers on both sides, who were 
Masons, to give the signal of distress, and 
doubtless it often secured help when it could 
not have been otherwise obtained. Yankees 
and Rebels were on common ground when 
they met as Masons. Of the Yankees, we 
learned that a great many of them joined the 
JMasons upon their enlistment in the army, 
for the protection and attention it might af- 
ford them when taken prisoners by us, or 
when left wounded on the battlefield after 
their line had been driven back. If there 
were Southern soldiers who were thus moved 
to become Masons, it never came to my 
knowledge. 

Before leaving ]N"orth Alabama for Geor- 
gia a short leave of absence Avas granted to 
these regiments to visit their homes, which 
Avere near at hand, and procure a much-need- 
ed supply of clothing, shoes, etc. This 
would have been done when we first reached 
there but for the threatening: attitude of the 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 227 

Yankees beyond the Tennessee lliver from 
us, which made it necessary for us to keep 
together, and be ready for whatever move- 
ment might become necessar}', to fight or to 
retire. It looked indeed for awhile as if we 
were going to have a considerable interview 
with the Yankees, and Col. Jackson received 
orders from military headquarters to gather 
up and take command of all the soldiers in 
]S"orth Alabama for that purpose, but we had 
no collision with them, except that we rescued 
the '' White Horse Cavalry " at Peters's barn 
from the arms of Morpheus into our own em- 
brace. They hindered us, however, in the 
ready accomplishment of our purposes of re- 
cruiting and furnishing the regiments; so 
that when we reached Georgia active hostil- 
ities had already set in there, and our main 
army had fallen back from Dalton. 

To the military events that transpired in 
our command after our incorporation into 
the Army of Tennessee I have already briefly 
alluded. On the Kennesaw line, June 20, 
1864, the Twenty-seventh, Thirty-fifth, and 
Forty-ninth Alabama Regiments wxre con- 



228 '"^Nii)ME REBEL RELICS 

solidatecl into one, on account of the losses 

that had been sustained in each of these, and 

• 
I was assigned to duty in Companies C and 

G, consolidated, of the Thirty-fifth Alabama. 

AVhatever fell to these noble men, in their 
turn to do, on the field or elsewhere, they did 
with all promptness and zest; and they were 
always looked to by the commanding gener- 
als to bring up their part of the line with as 
much confidence as they did to any other 
troops; nor were these expectations ever dis- 
appointed. 

Our northward movement through Geor- 
gia and into N^orth Alabama after the evacu- 
ation of Atlanta was characterized by a num- 
ber of interesting incidents, a few of which 
I will name. 

There were quite a number of Yankee 
garrisons captured by our troops, and among 
them the one at Dalton, composed mostly of 
negro soldiers, about one thousand in num- 
ber, who had been recently armed and reen- 
forced by the Yankees. Of course they 
were commanded by white officers. These 
negroes declared with great earnestness and 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 229 

feeling when captured tliat the Yankees 
forced them into service, and when onr troops 
charged them in their fortifications they of- 
fered no resistance whatever. They were 
but too glad to surrender to Southern sol- 
diers, and thus be relieved of Yankee domi- 
nation, of which they had already had too 
much. They turned their guns over to us as 
quickly as they could, eagerly calling our 
attention to the fact that they were perfect- 
ly clean inside, as evidence that they had not 
been fired off. And indeed there was the 
complete absence of the smut of burnt pow- 
der in their new and beautiful Springfield 
rifles. Only one negro's gun had been fired 
ofi', which was accidental and did no harm. 

In what we supposed was a feint on Deca- 
tur, Ala., October 2G-28, our regiment suf- 
fered a great deal. As we approached this 
place, which was strongly fortified, our reg- 
iment was the advance guard of the army, and 
Companies B and D the advance guard of 
the regiment. These two companies Avaded 
Flint River early on the morning of October 
26, after we had had a dark, rainy, muddy 



230 "^^iOME REBEL KELICS 



before-day march, and stood picket beyond it 
until the pontoons could be put down for the 
balance of the troops to pass over, and then 
we were thrown forward to skirmish with 
the Yankees. They were cavalry and they 
soon came to view, but scarcely offered us 
any resistance. By a little strategem we 
drew them into an ambush which we had 
formed, and would have effectually ruined 
them had not about half our guns failed to 
fire from having been rained on so much after 
they were loaded. As it was, a number of 
saddles were emptied, and the coat tails of 
the Yankess not shot spread straight out be- 
hind them, as they beat about the hastiest 
retreat that I had ever witnessed. The scene 
was actually ludicrous, and we could not but 
yell them on with hearty bursts of laughter, 
albeit we felt disappointed that w^e had not 
brought down the last one of them. 

At this juncture our entire regiment was 
formed into a skirmish line for the brigade, 
and approaching very close to the fortifica- 
tions around Decatur, we w^ere ordered to lie 
down and await further orders. A battery 



FllOM THE SEAT OE WAll. 231 

of our field artillery was planted in our im- 
mediate rear, and a duel engaged in with the 
Yankee heavy guns until niglit set in, there 
being no little sprinkling of musketry in the 
meanwhile. Our position was an exceedingly 
exposed one, and we suffered the loss, in 
killed and wounded, of some of our best men. 
In my diary I make special mention of ^^ Will- 
iam Pettus, of my company, as brave a boy 
as ever fought for freedom," who had his leg 
fractured by a musket ball; and of "poor 
Marion Harlan, a Christian man and gallant 
soldier of Company C," who was instantly 
killed while in a recumbent position by a 
solid cannon shot entering his shoulder and 
passing lengthwise through his body. 

Other casualties occurred at other times 
and in other commands, though not generally 
of a very serious nature for war times, until 
we drew off from Decatur, October 29, and 
went to Tuscumbia to make arrangements for 
crossing the Tennessee River. 



CHAPTteE XI. 



OF the religious aspects of army life in 
our command I wish now to speak, 
having thought best to put this matter apart 
from other features of the war, of whatever 
character, whether strictly military or other- 
wise, and bring it as connectedly to view as 
possible. To do this in the most available 
way it is needful that I drop in again with 
the army at many places already made famil- 
iar to the reader of these relics, and link on 
to those events heretofore made known in 
connection with its movements the others of 
which I would now speak, of a religious na- 
ture. 

But can there be religion in the army — a 
pure form of Christianity among those whose 
hearts throb with the utmost aversion for 
their fellows, and whose hands are red with 
human gore? Do not the scriptures of re- 
vealed truth give evidence in the negative? 

In such questions as these there may be in- 

(232) 



SOME REBEL RELICS. 233 

volved a problem, hard of solution to the 
entire satisfaction of many good people, but, 
speaking from the standpoint of a Southern 
soldier and professed follower of Christ, I 
can say with perfect sincerity that it did not 
hinder a conscious experience of grace in my 
case, nor obstruct me in the performance of 
religious duties, for me to abhor that spirit of 
Yankeedom that impelled vast multitudes of 
armed men, plunderers and murderers, to in- 
vade the sacred precincts of our home land, 
and to strike down every one of them that I 
could in personal combat. 

We fought strictly in self-defense, and 
could not but despise and destroy a foe to the 
extent that we were capable of, wdio would 
leave their homes to come upon us with all 
their might, to break us down in every w^ay 
that they could — in person and in property, 
in State and Church — when we had done 
nothing to provoke even their displeasure to- 
ward us, never having wronged them in any 
w^ay whatever. My language in reference to 
them is not employed for purposes of harsh- 
ness, but simply to express, in the integrity 



231 '•^^OME KEBEL KELICS 



of my heart and plainness of speech, my 
abiding and profound convictions of the 
meaningof tlie Yankee'invasion of the South, 
based upon evidence undeniable and of lim- 
itless extent. It is idle twaddle to speak of 
our secession as being justifiable cause for 
declaration of war against us and the atroci- 
ties which w^ere perpetrated upon us for our 
ruin, Avhen they themselves made secession 
on our part a necessity. Who does not know 
that the soldiery who fought us cared noth- 
ing as to whether or not we withdrew from 
the JN^orthern states and established a gov- 
ernment of our own? It is but too plain 
that motives of a spiteful, mercenary, and 
murderous nature moved those who had long 
been our defamers to enlist in an aggressive 
warfare against us. 

What other attitude could we assume to- 
ward such a foe as this than the one that we 
did? And could we not serve God, and at 
the same time fiercely and violently with- 
stand the causeless and vindictive invasion 
to which we were subjected? From the 
standpoint of those who precipitated and 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 235 

perpetuated with such remorseless vehemeuce 
the fratricidal war, in which we of the South 
were compelled to engage, let them auswer 
for themselves whether or not a genuine form 
of scriptural godliness is compatible with 
warfare. Among Southern soldiers there 
Avas religion, pure and undefiled, and a great 
deal of it. The manifestations of it were 
abundant in all parts of our army, as per- 
fectly competent witnesses attest, and in my 
own heart the love of God was realized and 
enjoyed in very great measure. There came 
to our soldiery seasons of refreshing from 
the presence of the Lord on many occasions 
which Avere inexpressibly glorious, and the 
work of grace moved on while the war 
lasted. 

All the soldiers of our command were not 
Christians, to be sure, and some there were 
Avho had backslidden after they joined the 
army, but there were many who were de- 
vout followers of Christ. Among those who 
were Christians were those who came into 
the army as such and those who professed 
religion during the progress of the w^ar. To 



236 ''^^OME REBEL RELICS 

me it was always a matter of surprise that a 
soldier, of all other men, could be satisfied to 
live in sin; and it was passing strange that 
one would throw away his religion in the 
midst of the dangers of warfare. There was 
nothing in the soldier life to suggest to me 
the benefit or propriety of being a sinner, 
but everything to suggest the importance of 
being a Christian; and as to there being any 
temptations to pursue a sinful life, it seemed 
to me that there was as nearly no place for 
such things in our surroundings as could 
possibly be the case almost anywhere. 
" Death was staring us in the face " all the 
time, a perpetual reminder of the final judg- 
ment in the presence of God; and we were 
away from the unholy allurements of society 
life. There were some drinking and gambling 
at times among some soldiers, but these were 
not in such form nor to such extent ^as to 
carry with them the attractive force of a 
temptation. Few and uninviting were the 
forms of sin in the army; while, on the other 
hand, the incentives to piety were abundant, 
and the methods of grace Avere alluring. 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAIl. 237 

"VYhcii the companies composing the Thirty- 
fifth xVlabama Regiment went into the camp of 
instrnction at La Grange they at once select- 
ed Rev. Robert A. Wilson, a member of the 
Tennessee Conference, Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South, as their chaplain, and he 
promptly embarked in religious work among 
them, such as belonged to the duties of his 
position; so that it may be said that religion 
and warfare took an even start in this com- 
mand. The same fact may doubtless be 
stated with reference to most of the other 
regiments constituting the Confederate arm}'. 
And that religion kept pace with the military 
movements of many commands may also be 
truthfully said. 

Brother Wilson remained with us as chap- 
lain until March 10, 1863, when, owing to 
feeble health, he left us to engage in post and 
hospital duties. He was in the best sense a 
faithful servant of God, and did all that Avas 
possible under the various circumstances that 
surrounded us to advance the spiritual inter- 
ests of the soldiers of our command. He 
was much loved, and in the full confidence 



238 '^^^SOME KEBEL llELICS 

of those whom he served in the Lord. He 
never failed to have daily religious services 
among us when it could be done, which he 
conducted himself, or had others to do; 
preaching as often as opportunity allowed 
and having prayer meeting services on otlier 
occasions. He was also the chief instrument 
in founding a Christian Association and de- 
veloping plans for its perpetuation while the 
war lasted, looking to cooperative work on 
the part of Christians of all denominations, 
and furnishing an asylum for all who were or 
desired to become the followers of Christ. 
It was the uppermost thought in my mind 
when joining the regiment to call a meeting, 
at the earliest opportunity, of all the Chris- 
tians in it, and to propose the organization 
of such an association; and was proceeding 
to do so when I learned that Brother Wilson, 
with Avhom T just then became acquainted, 
had the matter already under advisement, in 
connection with others to whom he had pre- 
sented it. 

To all intents and purposes, so to speak, we 
had a Christian Association of cooperative 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 239 

functions from the time that we entered full}^ 
into the Confederate service, but it was not un- 
til November 27, 1862, that the " Christian As- 
sociation of the Thirty-fifth Ahibama Regi- 
ment" w^as formally organized, with Consti- 
tution and By-laws. This was done while 
we were in camp at " Mouth of Tippah," 
Mississippi, and the officers elected were: 
President, B. M. Faris; Yice-presidents, J. 

E. ]^unn, A. T. Goodloe, Mealer, and 

Garrett; Recording Secretary, R. A. 

Wilson; Assistant Recording Secretary, A. 

F. Evans; Corresponding Secretary, Capt. 
Taylor. The Constitution and roll of the 
members fell into the hands of the enemy at 
Vicksburg after the battle of Baker's Creek. 
The members consisted of those who were 
professed Christians and those who were 
earnestly striving to become such. Regular 
meetings of tlie Association every Thursday 
night; prayer meeting every night, and 
preaching every Sunday — such was the ar- 
rangement agreed upon in regard to our 
stated meetings and religious services. In 
the matter of our religious meetings, strictly 



240 SOME REBEL RELICS 

speaking, we had already been holding them 
after this manner in the main, but it was 
thought best that the Association, in its or- 
ganic capacity, assume the responsibility of, 
at least, fixing the time for our several reli- 
gions gatherings. As to special revival serv- 
ices, we simply engaged in them whenever 
and wherever we could, and in connection 
with whomsoever they might be begun or 
conducted. In our regular prayer meetings 
we w^ould go from company to company, hav- 
ing them in one company one night, and 
in another company the next night, and so 
on until w^e met with all the companies of 
the regiment. Sometimes, however, our fa- 
cilities would be better for holding them at 
some particular place, say near the center of 
the regiment, and we would meet there from 
night to night. Congregations assembled 
for preaching wherever the best arrange- 
ments conld be made to accommodate the 
greatest number of men, and sometimes we 
could get the nse of a church near which 
w^e chanced to stop. In the camp, on the 
march, and along the lines of fortifications 



FIIOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 241 

we continued throughout all our campaigns 
to hold our religious services of one kind or 
another. 

In prearranging for the organization of the 
Christian Association, Brother Wilson and I, 
after having talked the matter over in all its 
phases and bearings, determined to introduce 
the subject at the prayer meeting in Com- 
pany G Tuesday night, JN'ovembcr 25, 1862; 
and this he did. Between ourselves we 
prayerfully considered the subject of who 
ought to be the President of it, and agreed 
that we would put the name of B. M. Faris 
in nomination for that position, who was at 
that time orderly sergeant of Company B, 
but subsequently one of its lieutenants. 
Paris was a Presbyterian, while most of us 
who were forward in religions work were 
Methodists, but it was our conscientious be- 
lief that some other than a Methodist should 
be at the head of the Association; and, be- 
sides, we had all confidence in Faris meeting 
fully the obligations of the position. Only 
the Lord knew what Brother Wilson and I 

were doing in this matter, wherein we were 
16 



242 SOME REBEL RELICS 

planning for bis glory; and I am sure that 
we were guided by tbe divine counsel. The 
proposition to inaugurate a Christian Asso- 
ciation was favorably received by all present 
and a committee appointed to draft resolu- 
tions, a Constitution, etc., and report at our 
meeting the Thursday night following. The 
work of the committee was approved unani- 
mously on the night that they made their re- 
port, and the organization of the Association 
was effected in full. The committee consist- 
ed of E. A. Wilson, A. T. Goodloe, J. W. 

West, B. M. Faris, A. F. Evans, Mea- 

ler, and Garrett. 

We were, according to the Constitution, 
to elect officers every three months, and at 
every election Faris was made his ow^i suc- 
cessor, and so continued to be President of 
the Association while the war lasted. Hav- 
ing sustained this relation to it during its en- 
tire existence, and being in every way w^or- 
thy of the important and responsible position, 
it is but right that his name have special 
mention here. He died in Searcy, Ark., 
September 9, 1888, and the first notice that 



PROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 243 

I saw of his death was embraced in the fol- 
lowing editoi-ial note in the Christian Ohser- 
vei' of September 19, 1888: 

" Kev. B. M.Fauis. 
*'After going to press last week we re- 
ceived tidings of the death of this trne- 
hearted servant of God. His death is one of 
the dispensations of Providence that are 
liard to nnderstand. He was in the prime of 
life, endowed with a rare degree of spiritual- 
ity, together with a vigor of mind and a 
clearness of perception that are not often 
combined. He gave promise of great use- 
fulness in the Master's work on earth. 
Admitted to the ministry in 1874, he la- 
bored in Tennessee, serving the Churches at 
Humboldt and at Somerville effectively for 
ten or twelve years. He took charge of the 
Avork in South Frankfort, Ky., only about a 
year ago, but yielded to the repeated urgency 
of the people of Searcy, Ark., to the effect 
that he %vas needed there, and went to that 
place last spring. It is only a short time 
after his removal that we are called to mourn 
his death." 



244 SOME REBEL RELICS 

Upon seeing this notice I at once prepared 
and had published in tlie Cliristian Observer 
and Cliristian Advocate the following com- 
munication : 

"Kev. Bluford M. Faris— His Army 
Life. 

"My acquaintance with Faris, as I was 
wont to call him, began at the organization 
of the Thirty-fifth Regiment, Alabama Vol- 
unteer Infixntry. Myself a stranger at that 
time to most of the regiment, I at once 
sought out the chaplain, Rev. R. A. Wilson, 
and through him was made acquainted with 
Sergeant Faris, of Company B. Many very 
excellent Christian heroes were among those 
gallant warriors, but Fliris had special gifts 
and graces which fitted him for more en- 
larged usefulness perhaps than others of his 
comrades. 

^'A Christian Association was soon formed 
in our regiment, and as by common consent 
Faris w^as regarded as best suited for Presi- 
dent, and so was without opposition placed 
in that position. Afterward, when Gen. 
^Abe ' Euford was our brigade commander. 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 24:5 

we organized ' The First Christian Associa- 
tion of Buford's Brigade, C. S. A.,' into 
which onr regimental association was merged. 
In the meanwhile Faris had become so gen- 
erally and favorably known that he was with 
one voice made President of the brigade As- 
sociation. In this position we Avas contin- 
ued until the close of the war, ever faithfully 
and efficiently performing his official duties. 
All along he conducted a number of Bible 
classes also, with great benefit to himself 
and to his classes. 

"He was a young man when he enlisted 
in the army ' for the war,' and just beginning 
his preparation for the minisby in the Pres- 
byterian Church. He was strikingly modest, 
humble, and unobtrusive, being altogether 
unconscious of his own eminent worth. He 
was well balanced, steady and constant in 
his religious character and life, full of zeal 
and the Holy Ghost. He abounded in good 
works, and had his heart set on maintaining 
divine worship among the soldiers, and win- 
ning his unconverted comrades to Christ. 
For a long time we were without a chaplain, 



24z6 SOME llEBEL IlELICS 

and very often without a preacher of any 
kind; but day after diiy, when the situation 
of the army would allow it, he would have us 
assemble for religious services, whether in 
camp or in the trenches. It was an everyday 
business. He never failed in his high pur- 
poses, nor evaded any responsibility whatev- 
er. An everyday Christian for everyday work, 
and for the long pull the world over — such a 
Christian was my noble friend and yokefel- 
low in the Lord and comrade in arms for 
our country's cause. He a Presbyterian and 
I a Methodist, both laymen then, we met at 
the cross of our common Master, and only 
knew each other as brethren in Christ Jesus. 
Our hearts were blended together in fraternal 
love, tender and enduring, which death itself 
cannot sever. Faris, we will love on through- 
out eternity! 

"Among his many gifts, of which T am in- 
adequate to do justice, God endowed him 
with an extraordinary voice, characterized 
for fullness and mellowness, and his articu- 
lation w^as superb. In exhortation, in prayer, 
and in song he was without a peer among 



FROM THE SEAT OE WAll. 2^7 

US, as it seemed to me, and yet as artless as 
a child. When he ' raised the tune,' which 
we generally had him to do, all could easily 
join in; and though the singing was neces- 
sarily loud, as it came forth from assemblies 
of soldiers accustomed to the battle " yell," 
one could readily recognize at a distance his 
sonorous and articulate voice as he carried 
us onward and upward in the precious serv- 
ice of song and adoration to our God. 

" His rank in the army Avas first orderly 
sergeant, and afterward lieutenant. On ev- 
ery march and in ever}' battle engaged in by 
his command I think he was on hand. In the 
military sense as in the religious, he endured 
hardness as a good soldier, and with remark- 
able cheerfulness. On the field of battle he 
was calm, collected, and dauntless. He 
fought to beat our country's foes, and had 
the faculty of imparting to others his reso- 
lute and persistent daring. His comrades 
Avere made better and braver by his presence 
amonof them, and no name was honored in all 
the army more than that of Bluford M. 
Faris." 



248 SOME REBEL RELICS 

In contemplating the establishment of a 
Christian Association in our command, those 
who were the prime movers in inaugurating 
the enterprise had in mind the two prominent 
ideas of cooperative work by Christians of 
various denominations, and of furnishing an 
asylum, so to speak, for all who were or de- 
sired to become the followers of Christ. A 
number of Churches were represented among 
our soldiery, and it was worth our while to 
put ourselves in such relations to each other 
as that we would have a common understand- 
ing in regard to religious work, and be in a 
situation to pull together in such work. Be- 
ing away also from the restraints of Church- 
membership, it might be possil)le that some 
would break loose from their religious moor- 
ing and drift away into sin, the danger of 
which we believed might be obviated by hav- 
ing a kind of army Church into whose mem- 
bership the members of all Churches could 
come. Furthermore, and not of least impor- 
tance, was the consideration which related to 
those Avho might become earnest inquirers 
after truth — that they might be afforded help 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAIl. 2^9 

in an effective way, and a companionship of 
kindred spirits into which they could enter 
with the utmost profit to their souls. 

Our preaching and social religious services 
were always seasons of grace and refreshing 
to us from the beginning of our military ca- 
reer, and great good was doubtless accom- 
plished by them, but it was not until we were 
near Davis's Mills, Miss., in September, 1862, 
that there was a distinctly marked revival 
meeting. This was not very extensive, how- 
ever, but exceedingly precious and joyous to 
many souls. It began simultaneously in the 
Thirty-fifth Alabama and Seventh Kentucky 
Regiments, Sunday, September 14, Brother 
Wilson preaching that morning in the Sev- 
enth Kentucky, and that night in our regi- 
ment. Unusual solemnity pervaded the con- 
gregations at both the services, which made 
it perfectly obvious that proti-acted and 
special efforts should be at once engaged in 
for the conversion of sinners. Fortunately, 
there was a church close by Avhich we were 
allowed the use of, and in that we assembled 
for preaching and other religious services 



250 SOME REBEL RELICS 

from day to day until the following Saturday 
night, when we were 'called away from the 
church to prepare rations for the next day, 
looking to a movement against the enemy 
that day. Brother Wilson did most of the 
preaching, and it was in the power and dem- 
onstration of the Spirit. A number of sin- 
ners were converted, precisely how many I 
do not know, and there was a bountiful spirit 
of rejoicing among the Christians in attend- 
ance. "Preaching again to-night," I say in 
my diary of September 18, "and a happy 
time we had. O how my soul was filled 
with the fullness of joy ! Thank God for the 
outpouring of his Spirit." It was high tide 
with us all through the meeting, but that 
was an especially good day with us, which 
we liad begun by an experience and prayer 
meeting at the church. 

At the Mouth of Tippah, where we organ- 
ized our Christian Association, there was a 
decided religious influence manifest at a 
number of our meetings, though no special 
revival services were held. It was uniform- 
ly our custom, however, to make very direct 



FltOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 251 

appeals to the imconvertcd members of our 
congregations to turn away from sin at once 
and serve God, and they were constantly re- 
minded in the exhortations that were made 
to them that they were in imminent peril of 
their lives every day. Those of us who con- 
ducted the social religious services from time 
to time lost no opportunity nor occasion of 
warning our sinful comrades of the dangers 
that constantly threatened them, and of pre- 
senting the blessed Saviour to them as 
their only refuge and security. And I am 
sure that during our stay at " Camp Mouth 
of Tippah " there were many who were so 
impressed with the importance of becoming 
Christians that they did in reality begin re- 
ligious lives; there were, indeed, unmistaka- 
ble tokens that such was the case. 



CHAPTEK XII. 



DUEI^N'G the time that we were at Grena- 
da, the winter of 1862-63, we had many 
religious privileges, except for awhile when 
the weather was very severe, which we en- 
joyed very much. The Association meet- 
ings were delightful, and the membership in- 
creased considerably, the accessions being 
both those who were professed Christians 
and those who were earnest inquirers after 
truth, the two classes who were invited to 
join. It was a rule of the Association, from 
its organization, to make a call for members 
at every meeting, and our hearts were con- 
stantly made to rejoice at seeing our beloved 
comi'ades in arms, professors and seekers of 
religion, identifying themselves with us in 
a work of so much importance to our own 
spiritual w^elfare, and of snch value in behalf 
of others. We had no form of reception of 
members, only invited them to come forward 

and have their names entered upon the reg- 

(252) 



SOME REBEL KELICS. 253 

ister, but their reception in this simple man- 
ner was always impressive and often exceed- 
ingly touching. 

By appointment of the Christian Associ- 
ation we observed while here Friday, De- 
cember 19, as a day of fasting and prayer 
^' for the prosperity of the cause of Christ in 
our Confederacy and the establishment of 
our independence;" and an exceedingly in- 
teresting occasion it was to us. In all our 
meetings, from first to last, we were careful 
not to omit praying for our Confederacy, 
that the Lord would own us as his people, 
and for the success of our arms in the day of 
battle; and very earnest w^ere the petitions 
that we offered at the throne of grace for 
these blessings to be granted to us, but it 
was deemed but right that a day be set apart 
from time to time as one of fasting and 
prayer in which to make special pleadings 
with God to dwell in our midst and save us 
from defeat by our foes. On occasions like 
those we entered with all heartiness into the 
service, and the praying was of the most 
earnest and fervent nature. The destruc- 



254 SOME REBEL RELICS 

tion of the enemy was not asked at any time, 
but that all their plans might come to 
naught, and they be put to the necessity of 
calling off their dogs of war and letting us 
alone. 

In our capacity as a Christian Association 
we set apart and observed a number of days, 
at different intervals, for fasting and prayer 
for the spread of Christ's kingdom in our 
armies, and for our independence as a gov- 
ernment; and we were very careful to ob- 
serve all thanksgiving and fast days appoint- 
ed by President Davis. 

Besides the regular preaching in camp by 
our chaplain while at Grenada, we had the 
opportunity of attending services frequently 
at the Methodist Church and hearing a num- 
ber of very able sermons. Rev. E. M. Mar- 
vin, D.D., subsequently a bishop in the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, preached 
several times, and so forcibly and touchingly 
did he present the message of salvation to 
those who could hear him (the church would 
not hold all that were anxious to hear him) 
that many turned from the paths of sin to 



PROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 255 

those of righteousness. After preaching by 
him Sunday night, December 28, 1 say in my 
diary: "Brother Marvin preached a very 
touching sermon to-night to a packed house. 
There is deep interest on the subject of re- 
ligion among the soldiers. Many men will 
return to their homes better than when they 
left them." Dr. Kavanaugh, Eev. F. E. 
Pitts, and several other ministers, also 
preached for us, and effectively. 

Sunday, January 11, the sacrament of the 
Lord's Supper was administered in the 
church, and it was a season of unusual joy 
and comfort to our souls; tears flowed down 
the cheeks of many warriors, and they felt 
that they were much nearer heaven than 
when they first believed. 

February 19, 1863, while camping near Ed- 
wards's Depot, Mississippi, the election of of- 
ficers of the Christian Association " for the 
ensuing quarter" took place, with the fol- 
lowing result: President, B. M. Faris; First 
Vice President, A. T. Goodloe; Second Vice 
President, Lieut. Stewart; Third Vice Presi- 
dent, Lieut. Evans; Fourth Vice President, 



256 SOME REBEL RELICS 

Lieut. Beckham; Recording Secretary, R. A. 
Wilson; Assistant Ret3ordijig Secretary, H. 
E. Kellogg; Corresponding Secretary, Capt. 
Taylor; Librarian, Lieut. Patton. 

1 did not note in every instance, it seems 
from my diary, the quarterly election of of- 
ficers of our Christian Association; how- 
ever, we were often prevented by the exi- 
gencies of military service from attending to 
this matter at the designated time, and so it 
was deferred, it may be^ one or two quarters. 

At Port Hudson, March 18, 1863, Brother 
Wilson Avas elected an honorary member of 
the Christian Association, he having left us 
for post and hospital duty a few days before 
that time. At this place there was a consid- 
erable increase in the membership of the As- 
sociation, and more than ordinary solemnity 
characterized the congregations at our reli- 
gious meetings. The work of grace went 
steadily forward here, as it had been doing 
indeed all along before this, but a more deci- 
ded and manifest impetus was given it than 
was usual at our ordinary stated services, and 
more distinct evidences of the presence of 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 257 

the Holy Spirit in our midst were clearly to 
be seen. March 29 I say in my diary : " I 
believe a revival has already commenced in 
our midst, and I praise God for it." 

The resignation of our beloved chaplain 
while here greatly grieved those of us who 
were trying to uphold the banner of Christ 
in our command, and caused us much uneasi- 
ness in regard to the leadership and manage- 
ment of Christian work thereafter. He had 
while with us been our chief counselor and 
prop, and we saw not how we could move 
forward without his valuable suggestions and 
help in other ways. "We had indeed leaned 
upon him more than we were conscious of 
having done until he left us; which he did 
with great reluctance, and only because his 
condition of health required him to do so. 
We tearfully asked one another what must 
be done, and determined that at the meeting 
of the Association March 25 volunteers be 
called for ^Ho take the lead in conducting 
our prayer meetings and such other religious 
services as it is competent for laymen to 

hold." The call having been made, the fol- 
17 



258 SOME KEBEI. RELICS 

lowing volunteers reported for such duties : B. 

M. Faris, A. T. Gooctloe, Taylor, A. F. 

Evans, J. W. West, I. L. Pride, Beck- 
ham, and Weatherford. This " Social 

Band," as it was named by President Faris 
when calling for volunteers for the work in- 
dicated, w^as soon strengthened by others 
joining it. It was to us all a very great un- 
dertaking' to embark as leaders in relio'ious 
services and movements among our comrades, 
but there were some who found it particu- 
larly embarrassing to do so. 

Those of us who first volunteered met to- 
gether by agreement in a secluded spot in 
the woods Sunday morning, March 29, for 
prayer and consultation that we might be 
qualified in all needful measure for the work 
we had undertaken, and to make such ar- 
rangements as we could for special revival 
services in the regiment. In great earnest- 
ness and humility and faith we implored wis- 
dom from on high to be imparted to us in 
this our time of imminent need, and that we 
might have the baptism of the Holy Spirit 
upon us, and the sweet tokens of the divine 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 259 

pleasure were with us while we thus prayed 
together. We felt that the ties of brotherhood 
bound us closer together than ever before, 
though there was no lack of love among us 
theretofore, and we declared our readiuess, the 
one to the other, to enter upon such Chris- 
tian labors with renewed zeal as seemed best 
for the spiritual well-being of our comrades 
and the glory of God. Our communion with 
one another and with God was inexpressibly 
precious, and the experiences into which we 
entered were of the most comforting and joy- 
ous nature. To our God, to each other, and 
to our command we bound ourselves in a 
covenant wdiich was never broken, to go for- 
w^ard and continue in the work which, rely- 
ing upon God, we had nndertaken. What 
the fruits of this meeting were cannot be 
known nntil we reach the inheritance of the 
saints on high, where, I feel sure, every 
member of that " Social Band " will go. So 
mote it be! 

There was another meeting April 2, not of 
the " Social Band,"' but still more touching, 
in which I was called upon to take part, and 



260 SOME REBEL RELICS 

which is worthy to be placed on record in 
this connection. Just 'before dinner on this 
day Capt. Taylor sent word to me that he 
wanted to see me at his tent. I immediately 
went, and found him prostrated in an agony 
of grief, caused by having just learned of the 
death of his chikl — his only child. With 
tears and sobbings he made known tome the 
sorrowful fact, and let me know that he had 
sent for me to pray with him and give him 
what comfort I could in his great sorrow. 
We sought the quiet of the Avoods not far 
from camp, where we remained about two 
hours. My heart w^as overrun with sympa- 
thy for him, and the more so as two children 
of my own were in the grave; and I pleaded 
for the presence of the Comforter with him 
with all the eagerness and faith that I was 
capable of. Many of the precious promises 
of the Bible also came to miud, and these 
were readily grasped by him ns a sure sup- 
port. Before the meeting closed his grief 
was turned to gladness, and we returned to 
camp abounding in the love of God, and more 
than ever consecrated to his service. 



FP.OM THE SEAT OF WAR. 2G1 

After returning from a meeting of the 
Christian Association the night of March 25, 
I found tlie negro cooks, teamsters, etc., of 
our regiment engaged in a prayer meeting in 
the rear of tlie tent occupied by my mess, 
which was very interesting to me. I went 
quietly into tlie tent, not letting them know 
that I had returned, and lay down. I could 
easily hear all that they said, and was very 
much impressed with the earnestness and 
sincerity of their devotions. They not only 
prayed for the religious prosperity of com- 
mand, but also for the success of our arms 
in the day of battle. They were in slavery, 
but they preferred not the domination of the 
enemy in our Southland. 

During our stay at Port Hudson (March 
3 to April 4, 1863) we had much religious 
enjoyment, albeit we suffered no little anx- 
iety for the success of the work in which we 
were engaged for the Master Avithout the 
presence and help of a chaplain, and there 
was unquestionably a distinct advance along 
the line of personal consecration to the serv- 
ice of God, and a considerable enlargement 



262 st)ME KEI3EL RELICS 

of the borders of Zion. As laymen in the 
Church we went away from Port Hudson more 
determined than ever to keep the banner of 
Christ unfurled in the army while the war 
lasted, and to carry forward such enterprises 
as would best promote the religious interests 
of our fellow-soldiers in our country's cause. 
Our prayer meetings and Christian Asso- 
ciation meetings became more and more 
pleasant and profitable to us, but it is not 
needful that I speak of them in detail, my 
purpose being to speak somewhat fully of the 
occasions of extraordinary religious interest, 
special revival meetings, etc., in wdiich mem- 
bers of our command took part. Forest Sta- 
tion, Miss., was the next place in order where 
we engaged in a revival series of services, 
resulting in the end in the conversion of a 
great many soldiers, and bringing unusual 
joy to the hearts of all the Christians. After 
the evacuation of Jackson it will be remem- 
bered that we fell back to several points on 
the Southern railroad, Forest Station among 
the rest. "We reached this place July 29, 
1863, and left there August 11. 



FROM THE SEAT OE AVAIL 2G3 

Very early after our arrival there arraiig'e- 
ments were made for brigade preaching, 
tiiere beiD<2: at that time several visitine: 
preachers along with the army, who, I sup- 
pose, fell back from their homes as we re- 
tired. A place convenient to the brigade 
was selected, and, it being in the woods, the 
undergrowth was cut away. A good many 
seats were made with logs and poles, but 
many of the men sat on the ground, there 
not being sufficient sitting room for all who 
attended the services. Elevated scaffolds 
were built at a number of places around that 
occupied by the congregation, upon which 
to build fires for light. The scaffolds were 
constructed with forks and poles, and a thick 
layer of dirt placed upon them to protect 
them against the fires. Immediately in front 
of the preacher were poles resting in low 
forks, at which penitents were invited to 
kneel. We had preaching at this place 
morning and night, mostly by Eev. Mr. 
Cooper, of the Cumberland Presbyterian 
Church, whom I had never seen before. He 
drew us all to him at once, and secured the 



264 SOME REBEL RELICS 

hearty and active cooperation of the Chris- 
tians of the commanci. The order of the 
services, as announced from the stand, was: 
'' Prayer meeting at 8 o'clock a.m., preaching 
at 9 o'clock, and preaching at night." 

It is utterly impossible to -express our ap- 
preciation of such services as these, which 
were conducted after the manner of revival 
services where the "' mourner's bench " is 
recognized. There were many earnest mourn- 
ers and many glad conversions, and Chris- 
tians Avere made happy in the Lord. Tlie 
preaching, the exhorting, the praying, the 
singing — these were all done with the utmost 
fervor and directness, and accomplished, by 
the blessing of God, large and gracious re- 
sults. 

Much wickedness had been observed in 
portions of our army, especially in the way 
of gambling, for some time previous to this 
meeting, which caused much sadness to those 
who w^ere working for Christ, but after this 
I, at least, saw but slight displays of wick- 
edness of any kind. 

We went from Forest Station to ]N'ewton, 



rilOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 265 

at which place we arrived August 12, and 
w^ent into camp two miles beyond. Here we 
remained until August 29. The revival went 
with us, and continued throughout our stay 
here, increasing from day to day in volume 
and interest; it was indeed a tremendous re- 
vival in all the characteristics of an extensive 
and genuine work of grace. A great many 
sinners were converted, and the Christians 
were constantl}^ happy in the love of God. 
Field and company officers and privates 
worked and prayed together, or kneeled as 
penitents together, at our rude altar place. 
There were many " altar workers," and they 
were ready at every service, when not kept 
away by military duties, which was at times 
the case, to instruct and encourage the 
mourners, and to pray for their conversion. 

It is beautiful to see people seeking re- 
ligion under any circumstances, but when 
we looked upon our soldier comrades coming 
to Christ we were drawn toward them with 
cords of resistless tenderness. There were 
Church members at our meetings who, at 
home, had been opposed to altar exercises, 



266 SOME KEBEL RELICS 

but they broke over all their prejudices, and 
became exceedingly effective altar workers. 
One of them who had witnessed the conver- 
sion of a number of penitents to whom he 
had talked at one of our night services said 
to me as we walked back to camp after the 
benediction: ^' Goodloe, I am afraid I have 
done wrong to-night, having worked in the 
altar as I did, contrary to the teachings that 
I have received in the Church to which I 
belong. Well, I am sorry if I did wrong, 
which in my heart I cannot feel that I did;^ 
but Vvhen I saw those soldier boys begging 
for mercy at the hands of God, I could not but 
give them such help as I was capable of; for 
I knew them, that they were brave and hon- 
est men. After all that I have heard against 
the mourners' bench, I must confess that 
there are no reasonable objections that I can 
urge against altar exercises." And he worked 
on with increasing avidity and effectiveness 
and with much joy to his own soul. 

Ever since my connection Avith the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church, South, I had been 
very fond of the '^ mourners' bench" exer- 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 2(37 

cises, and of course did what I could to 
help the mourning soldiers to Christ; and I 
praise God that I have often been permitted 
to see those with whom I have labored and 
prayed accept him in faith and love. During 
our army meetings some of my most delight- 
ful religious experiences w^ere caused by see- 
ing those profess religion in whom, in the 
name of the Lord, I had taken special inter- 
est. In my diary of August 26 I made a note 
of the conversion of William Myers wdiile 
lying in my lap. It w^as at the night service, 
and the altar place was filled with mourners, 
Myers among the rest. I was going from 
one to another on my knees, instructing and 
encouraging them. When I came to Myers 
he turned from the altar pole and leaned npon 
me, and I sat down on the ground so that I 
could more easily support him. His agony 
was intense, but brief, and presently he w^as 
happily converted. Concerning his final ef- 
forts and conversion I say in my diary: "O 
how beautiful it is to see the dead struggle 
into life!" 

During our meeting here at Newton we 



268 SOME KEBEL KELICS 

had the sacrament of the Lord's Supper ad- 
ministered to us at o\n^ preaching place in 
the woods where our meeting was being hekl, 
Sunday, August 16, after preaching by 
Brother Jones, the Methodist pastor former- 
ly at Canton. It was another one of those 
occasions of which it is impossible to speak 
so as to do justice to it; it was lovely be- 
yond description. I simply say in my diary: 
" The scene was solemn and sublime." 

Our arrangements for preaching here were 
about the same that they w^ere at Forest Sta- 
tion, though perhaps a little more elaborate, 
and we selected a densely shaded place on 
a creek some distance from camp. Where 
the mourners knelt by the altar poles we 
kept the ground well covered with green 
twigs cut from the limbs of bushes and trees 
to protect them from the ground as much as 
possible. These were made the more neces- 
sary on account of several rains that fell dur- 
ing the meeting, and they were renewed 
from time to time as necessity required. 

We provided ourselves Avith a blowing 
horn here at the beginning of our meeting, 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 2G9 

and appointed one of the soldiers to blow it 
as the signal for preaching, and found it a 
great convenience. My brother-in-law and 
messmate, W. Pike Cockrill, soon found a 
smaller and better-shaped horn which he fin- 
ished np very nicely, inscribing upon it also 
the name of our Christian Association, and 
gave' it to ns. This we kept with great care, 
and nsed it to blow for all religious services, 
indicating thereby the time and place of 
the meeting. Its note soon became familiar 
throughout our entire encampment, and the 
object for which it was blown understood. 
It was not only nsed in connection with our 
stated services, but was also employed to 
call together congregations for worship when 
no previous announcement had been made, 
as when a preacher would come unexpected- 
ly into camp and wouki consent to preach 
for us, or when we wanted a called meeting 
of the Christian Association, or a special 
prayer meeting, etc. The sound of the horn 
w^as the invitation to come together for wor- 
ship at once, and at the place wdiere the horn 
sounded. AYe put it in the keeping of Faris, 



270 SOME REBEL RELICS 

as President of our Association, and he gen- 
erally had Pike Cockrill to blow it, which he 
did admirably. When the w^ar closed Paris 
took this sacred war relic home with him, 
but, having left it with some one when he 
went to Virginia to complete his theological 
studies, it became misplaced, and he never 
could find it again. Long after the war end- 
ed he wanted to put it into my hands for 
some special reasons, but, to his surprise, it 
was not where he thought it was. I adver- 
tised for it several years ago, but have never 
been able to recover it. I still hope to find 
it. The finisher of it was my wife's brother, 
and with these fingers of mine with which I 
now write I closed his eyes in death at Cul- 
leoka, Tenn., INIarch 8, 1884. 

The ministers that helped in our K'ewton 
meetings were Brothers Cooper, Poss, Jones, 
and Grifiin, of Mississippi; Mclnnis, of N^ew 
Orleans; and McCutchon, chaplain of the 
Seventh Kentucky Pegiment. All of them 
preached the pure gospel with soul-stirring 
earnestness, and did the listening soldiers in- 
calculable good, though Brothers Poss and 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 271 

Cooper, both Cumberland Presbyterians, 
preached oftenest. Brother Jones was with 
US August 14:-18, and preached a number of 
times and exceedingly acceptably while 
with us. So well pleased was our regiment 
with him that, by a unanimous vote of the 
Christian Association after he left, and after 
consultation with Col. Goodwin, he Avas invit- 
ed to become our chaplain. He took the mat- 
ter under prayerful consideration, and was 
anxious to comply with our request, but he 
was under such obligations elsewhere that 
he could not serve us. 

With Brother McCutchon we had for 
some time been well acquainted, and he was 
dearly loved in our regiment, which he visit- 
ed right often. The Seventh Kentucky Reg- 
iment was fortunate in having him for their 
chaplain, as he was in every way suited for 
the position. lie adjusted himself to army 
life as easily as did any private soldier, and 
had a heart full of love for those whom he 
served in the gospel. A true man and min- 
ister he Wcis in every sense; and his preach- 
ing and advices were always much apprecia- 



272 SOME REBEL RELICS. 

tecl and very profitable. He was a member of 
the Memphis Conferenc'e, Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, South. 

It Avas not thought best by the preachers 
conducting these meetings to ofier an oppor- 
tunity for Church membership to those who 
were converted, but they were advised to 
send their names to their home Churches for 
membership there, and to engage at once in 
Christian labors in the army. We had many 
accessions to our Christian Association, as 
one of the results of the meetings, and of 
tliose who were not members of our regi- 
ment as well as those who were; for we 
opened the doors of it to all soldiers who 
wished to join it, and could meet the condi- 
tions of membership. 



CHAPTEE XIIL 



FROM N^ewton we went to Morton, where 
we remained until September 30, camping 
about two miles southwest of this phice. 
The visiting preachers who had been so val- 
uable to us in our religious meetings did not 
come with us here, but the revival services 
were continued by Brother McCutchon, the 
only chaplain then in our brigade. There 
were two or three licensed preachers, with 
limited experience, among the soldiers, who 
rendered him what assistance they could, and 
the lay workers cooperated freely with him. 
The brigade preaching continued most of the 
time that we were at Morton, and the services 
held were all the more advantageous to us 
because, in the absence of the ministerial 
help that we had had, we were put to the ne- 
cessity of leaning more entirely upon the 
Lord. Brother McCutchon was a noble 

leader, and did splendid work for the Master, 

18 (273) 



274 SOME REBEL RELICS 

but, after awhile, being' overcome by weari- 
ness, he was put to the necessity of closing 
the series of meetings, which were begun at 
Forest Station nearly two months before. 

When this meeting (which we called bri- 
gade preaching) closed religious services of 
one kind and another were held daily in the 
several regiments of the brigade, thus keep- 
ing aglow the revival fires which had been 
kindled so gloriously in our midst. At these 
regimental meetings, which were sometimes 
preaching services, though generally prayer 
and experience meetings, similar methods 
were employed in conducting them as had 
characterized our brigade services, and a 
goodly number of soldiers were converted. 

Altogether, at the bi'igade and regimental 
services, there were many precious souls 
brought from nature's darkness into the mar- 
velous light and liberty of God's people dur- 
ing our stay at Morton, besides the great 
comfort and encouragement that was afford- 
ed the Christian workers. There were also 
many mourners who, though not making an 
open profession of religion, gave evidence of 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 275 

having entered upon ne^yness of life in Christ 
Jesus. 

While here at Morton we received a good 
supply of Bibles, Testaments, hymn books, 
and tracts, which had heretofore been or- 
dered. The need of these we had felt very 
keenly for some time in carrying forward our 
religious undertakings, but they could not 
have reached us at a time that they would 
have been more appreciated, or that the sol- 
diers would have been in a better frame of 
mind to have been profited by them. They 
came to a multitude of new" converts to the 
religion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to 
many more who were earnest inquirers aft- 
er the truth, not to speak of the Christian 
workers who stood in need of an abundant 
supply of such utensils in performing their 
labors. To be sure, there were many of us 
who were never without our pocket Bibles, 
but there w^ere many others who had none, 
having lost theirs or worn them out, if they 
brought them from their homes; but we stood 
in need of other religious literature besides 
the Bible, and especially did we have an ur- 



276 SOME REBEL RELICS 

gent need for a good supply of hymn books. 
What a mighty chorus of voices there was 
raised in songs of praises to our God by the 
soldiers when the hymn books w^ere given 
out in the congregations! 

Canton was our next stopping place, and 
here we spent most of the winter of 1863-64. 
To this place the revival went with us, and 
there abode, having its developments not only 
in the conversion of many other precious 
souls to Christ, and much reformation other- 
wise, but in establishing many new converts 
and older Christians in the fixed habits of la- 
borers in the vineyard of the Lord. Our 
camp w^hile in the vicinity of Canton was 
two and one-half miles southeast of that 
place, near a creek, and on very good ground. 

At our daily prayer meetings here we 
made it a rule to call for mourners, laymen 
though we were, as we were about to close, 
and it was almost invariably the case that 
some came forward. With these we en- 
gaged in special prayer for a short while, and 
every now and then some of them were con- 
verted. 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 277 

On October 9 several visiting preachers 
came into camp, among them Brothers Cooper 
and Harrington; and that night the former 
preached, and we began another series of re- 
vival services. We had ah-eady prepared lis 
a brigade preaching place, with larger ac- 
commodations than those we had theretofore 
had, and built over it for shade a large bush 
arbor. All were ready to charge again the 
'^ citadels of sin" under the leadership of 
these excellent ministerial brethren, and the 
first service was an onward movement. 

Brother Harrington preached the next 
morning, and Brother Cooper the next night. 
That was Saturday, and we had arranged for 
Brother Harrington to preach again Sunday 
morning, and Brother Cooper Sunday night. 
On Sunday morning, to our surprise. Elder 
Burns, upon invitation of Gen. Buford, came 
to preach to us, and we were a little afraid 
that some unpleasantness might grow out of 
the unexpected clashing of appointments; 
but Brother Burns, upon seeing that we had 
the meeting in hand and had made other ar- 
rangements, consented readily to our man- 



278 SOME REBEL RELICS 

agement of the meeting, and we arranged for 
him to preach that afternoon and several 
times afterward. There was nothing wrong 
in Gen. Bnford's wanting his friend to preach 
to his brigade, but we smiled at the thought, 
and passed around a few pleasantries, that 
our brave commander should presume to make 
the appointment of a preacher to conduct re- 
ligious services, which we of the '^rank and 
file " had taken in hand. AYe knew, hoAvev- 
er, that he intended no disrespect to us by 
making the appointment, and we found his 
friend to be a very pleasant Christian gentle- 
man. 

The meeting went on joyfully and prosper- 
ously, mourners constantly crowding the al- 
tar place, and souls being converted from 
time to time. The altar workers were now 
like trained veterans, and left nothing un- 
done which they could accomplish to set for- 
w^ard the s]3iritual interests of those who were 
crying to God for mercy, ^ot only so, but 
they urged those who were not seeking relig- 
ion to begin at once to do so. In the midst of 
our meeting, while the visiting brethren were 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 279 

with us, we were interrupted by having to go 
up to Grenada to turn back a Yankee raid, 
and also to go out in the direction of Living- 
ston for the same purpose; but these expedi- 
tions did not cool off the revival fervor at all, 
and so we went on with our meetings as soon 
as we returned to camp. We had much to 
do, to be sure, besides attending religious 
meetings; but these things we did, and left 
not the others undone. 

After Brothers Cooper and Harrington left 
others came to preach for us at times, though 
the services were more frequently altogether 
in the hands of laymen, some of Avhom exhib- 
ited no little preaching ability. Brother Cof- 
fey came to the brigade about the 1st of 
I^ovember to act as Chaplain of the Twenty- 
seventh Alabama Regiment, and a most ex- 
cellent and faithful minister he was. Broth- 
er McCutchon, our " old stand-by," was al- 
ways in labors abundant, but he preferred 
that we use the visiting preachers as much as 
possible while their services were available, 
thus husbanding his strength and resources 
for occasions when no other help was at hand. 



280 sTt:]NfE REBEL HELICS 

On and on, from day to day, we went with 
our meetings nntil onr .departure from Can- 
ton. They were always well attended, and 
although some of them were more interesting 
than others, they were all seasons of refresh- 
ing to us. When we had no preacher with 
ns we conducted the service in the regular 
order of public worship generally, the leader 
reading a portion of Scripture and giving 
such explanation of it as he could, which an- 
swered in the place of a sermon, unless it 
was strictly a praj^er meeting that we were 
holding. All along, also, w^e were very care- 
ful to remember and observe our Christian 
Association meetings, which blessed work 
grew among us constantly in interest and 
profit. 

At the request of the pastor, I suppose. 
Brother McCutchon held a meeting at the 
Methodist Church in Canton, November 15- 
27, which w^as participated in largely by the 
soldiers, though by many citizens also. Serv- 
ices were only held at night, and we 
arranged our meeting in camp during that 
time so that we could attend at both places. 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 281 

It was an excellent meeting in every partic- 
ular, and there were quite a number of con- 
versions. During the meeting, Sunday, 
]N"Gvember 22, the sacrament of the Lord's 
Supper was administered at the morning 
service, after preaching by Brother Wheat, 
an army missionary. It is impossible to 
convey any idea of our appreciation of the 
blessed privilege of thus commemorating the 
sufferings and death of our precious Saviour 
in the army. Thank God for the opportu- 
nities that were afforded us for so doing! 

"While at Canton it got to be quite com- 
mon for soldiers recently converted to be re- 
ceived by different preachers into the several 
Churches which they represented, those re- 
ceiving baptism to whom it had not previ- 
ously been administered. A large number 
connected themselves thus with Churches, 
and their names were sent home, whenever 
it could be done, to be entered on the 
Church registers there. 

Faris and I formed several Bible classes 
while we were here, which we continued to 
conduct to the close of the war. We had no 



282 SOME REBEL llELICS 

commentaries nor other Scripture helps, but 
we made a very close study of chapter by 
chapter and verse by verse in an earnest, 
prayerful manner, and Ave felt that, by the 
help of the Holy Spirit, we learned much of 
the "Word of God. "VVe became more and 
more endeared to it as we engaged thus in 
the stndy of it, and experienced daily that it 
was indeed a lamp to our feet and light to 
our path while passing through the severe 
ordeals of fratricidal warfare. 

AVe also enlarged our supply of religions 
literature while here: books, papers, tracts, 
etc., all of which was '' greedily devoured " 
by the soldiers at large. We had no fears of 
religious publications not being read, our 
only apprehension being that the demand 
could not be supplied. The harvest which 
came from this sowing is only known to 
God, but was abundant, I am sure. 

As the winter began to come on, and the 
weather became nn certain, we found that we 
mnst stop our brigade meetings or build a 
church to hold them in. The latter we did. 
It was a somewhat rude structure, built of 



FllOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 283 

split logs and boards, and having a ground 
floor covered with straw, but it was suffi- 
ciently comfortable to answer our purposes, 
and was unquestionably a potent means of 
grace to us. I doubt if Solomon loved the 
house that he built at Jerusalem more than 
we loved the one that we built at Canton, 
nor do I suppose that the Lord honored the 
former with his presence more certainly than 
he did the latter. From that army house, as 
also from many other rude fixtures for meet- 
ing purposes, many souls started to heaven, 
a sufficient token of the divine pleasure rest- 
ing upon such preparation as we could make 
to carry forward the ark of the Lord among 
soldiers engaged in active warfare. 

Before leaving Canton our Christian As- 
sociation underwent a change of name and 
reorganization. It had already virtually be- 
come a brigade association, others than those 
of our regiment having joined it, and so it 
w^as named The First Christimi Association 
of BuforcVs Brigade. It w^as called " first " 
because no other brigade association had be- 
fore this been formed, and it w^as thought 



284 SOME REBEL RELICS 

that others might be he]*eafter. A new Con- 
stitution was framed, and .under it the reor- 
£:anization was efiected and officers elected 
January 6, 1864. 

It had been our custom for some time not 
only to offer an opportunity for those to join 
the Association who wished to become mem- 
bers of it, at the close of our regular meet- 
ings, but also to call for volunteers to lead 
in such religious exercises as we conducted 
in the absence of a preacher, and these fea- 
tures became permanently attached to our 
brigade organization. I have preserved a 
copy of the Constitution framed at Canton, 
together with the names of many of the mem- 
bers and those who volunteered to lead in our 
religious meetings. These I will here put to 
record. 
Constitution oe the First Christian 
Association of Buford's Brigade. 

preamble. 
"Whereas the undersigned, professed fol- 
lowers of Christ and earnest inquirers after 
the truth, cut off as we are from such 
Church associations as are afforded for the 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 285 

comfort and support of the more peaceful 
dwellers at home, realizing the want of some 
organization to assist us in the worship of 
God, that we may be established in his most 
holy faith, rooted and grounded in his love, 
and grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ; and for the purpose of developing 
and giving higher tone to the moral and re- 
ligious sentiments of those with whom the 
fortunes of war associate us, do hereby adopt 
the following Constitution: 

ARTICLE I. 

Section 1, The name of the association 
shall be Tlie First Christian Association of 
BuforcVs Brigade, 

Sec. 2. The stated meetings of this Asso- 
ciation shall be held every Wednesday night 
when practicable, and at such other times as 
the President shall deem necessary to call it 
together, all such meetings to be opened with 
reading the Scriptures, singing, and prayer. 

Sec. 3. The officers of this Association 
shall consist of one President, four Yice Pres- 
idents, one Recording Secretary, one Assist- 



286 SOME REBEL RELICS 

ant Kecording Secretary, one Corresponding 
Secretary, and one Librarian, to be elected 
every three months, and holding their posi- 
tions until their successors shall be elected. 

Sec. 4, The mode of electing officers shall 
be by ballot, and no person shall be declared 
elected unless he receive a majority of all 
the votes cast. 

Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of the Presi- 
dent to preside at all meetings of the Asso- 
ciation, appoint committees, and select suit- 
able persons to conduct the religious exer- 
cises of the Association. 

Sec. 6. It shall be the duty of the Yice 
Presidents to give the President such aid as 
he may require in the discharge of his du- 
ties, and to preside in his absence. 

Sec. 7. It shall be the duty of the Record- 
ing Secretary to keep a faithful record of 
the Constitution and By-Laws of this Asso- 
ciation in a book furnished him for that 
purpose, and he shall record therein also the 
minutes of each meeting after they shall 
have been adopted by the Association. 

Sec. 8. At each meeting the Recording 



PROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 287 

Secretary shall read the minutes of the last 
preceding meeting, and the Constitution and 
By-laws shall be read to the members once 
every month. 

Sec, 9, It shall be the duty of the Assistant 
Recording Secretary to assist the Recording 
Secretary in the discharge of his duties. 

Sec. 10. It shall be the duty of the Corre- 
sponding Secretary to conduct the corre- 
spondence of the Association, and preserve 
files of the same. 

Sec. IL It shall be the duty of the Libra- 
rian to keep all books and archives of the 
Association. 

Sec, 12. It shall be the duty of the Presi- 
dent and Vice Presidents at the close of 
their terms of office to submit a joint writ- 
ten report of the progress and true condition 
of the Association, and make such recom- 
mendations for its welfare as they may deem 
proper, which report, if adopted, shall be pre- 
served in the archives of the Association for 
future reference. 

ARTICLE II. 

Section 1. N'o person shall be a suitable 



288 SOME REBEL RELICS 

candidate for admission into the Association 
unless he be a professed follower of Christ 
or an earnest inquirer after the truth, to be 
evinced by a pious walk and godly conver- 
sation. 

Sec. 2, To preserve harmony and good feel- 
ing, the discussion of, or giving prominence 
to, what are known as controversial subjects 
in conducting any of the exercises of the 
Association shall be carefully avoided. 

ARTICLE III. 

Section 1, "When a member of the Associ- 
ation shall have been guilty of drunkenness, 
profane swearing, or other sin, or is wander- 
ing from the path of duty, it shall be the duty 
of the President to visit such member and 
duly admonish him of his fault, and, by kind 
entreaty, endeavor to persuade him to repent 
of his evil conduct and retrace his steps. 

Sec, 2, If an erring member has been vis- 
ited, admonished, and entreated in a proper 
manner, and he manifests no signs of repent- 
ance, but persists in his sinful course, it shall 
be the duty of the President to bring the 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 



289 



case before the Association for trial, which, 
after investigation, may acquit, reprimand, 
suspend, or expel, as the case may demand. 

Sec, 3. In the trial of a member the Presi- 
dent shall preside as judge in the case, and 
decide points of law and evidence, and see 
justice done to both the parties in the trial. 

Sec. 4. The President shall appoint a suit- 
able member to present the evidence and con- 
duct the case on the part of the Association 
when it has a member before it for trial. 

Sec, 5, After all the evidence for and 
against the accused member is introduced, 
and discussion is closed, a verdict shall be 
rendered by all the members of the Associa- 
tion present at the time, and a two-thirds 
vote shall be required for conviction. 

Professors of Eeligion. 



Name. 



Fails, B. M . . . . 
Goodloe, A. T. . 
Lemay, W 

Alclridge, W. H. 
Pettus, T. J.... 
Sandlin, J. W. . 
AVilliams,J. B.. 
Lewis, W. N . . . 

19 



Rank. 


Co. 


Second Lt. 


B 


First Lt. . . 


D 


Sergeant. . 


H 


Second Lt. 


C 


Corporal . . 


D 


Corporal . . 


C 


Sergeant. . 


i^^ 


Second Lt. 


G 



Regiment. 



Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Tliirty-fif th Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty -fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 



290 



SOME llEBEL RELICS 



Name. 

McElea, J. A . . . 
Hudgins, J. W . . 
Stewart, S. D . . . 

Patton, J. B 

Moran, J. W 

Mfirtin, J. N 

O'Bryant, W. J. 

Price, J. H 

Nix, B 

Craig, W. ...... 

Penick, J 

AVhitfield, W. G. 

Myers, W 

Eawlmff, J. W.. 

Stout, W. E 

Cameron, R. N . . 

Stanley, E. J 

Peebles, T. ^Y. . . 
Harman, J. W . . 

King,G.W 

Hargrove, W. T. 
Roberts, M.Z... 

Williams, J 

McElea, W. H.. 
Hawks, W. J. . . . 
Ethridge, K B.. 
Morris, W. W... 
Meadows, R. B . . 

Finch, B.E 

Trimble, L. A... 
Terry, H. M.... 
Harrison, J. F. . . 

Still, V.B 

McHenry, T. D. 

Sims, J. M 

Piterline,AV.L... 
Hawruck, J. M. . 
Johnson, J, F . . . 



Rank. • 


Co. 

T 


Private . . . 


Private . . . 


D 


First Lt . . 


B 


First Lt . . 


I 


Private . . . 


C 


Captain.. . 
Private . . . 


I 


Corporal. . 
Private. . . 


A 

c 


Sergeant. . 
Private. . . 


c 

H 


Sergeant. . 


D 


Private. . . 


H 


Private. . . 


B 


Private. . - 


K 


Private. . . 


B 


Private. . . 


H 


Sergeant . 


B 


Corporal. . 
Private. . . 


B 
A 


Sergeant. . 
Sergeant . . 
Private. . . 


G 
D 
A 


Private. . . 


A 


Private. . . 


F 


Private. . . 


D 


Private. . . 


F 


Private. . . 


G 


Private. . . 


B 


Corporal . 
Private. . . 


G 
G 


Private. . . 


G 


Private. . . 




Private. . . 


G 


Private. . . 


K 


Private. . . 


B 


Private. . . 




Private. . . 


G 



Regiment. 



Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Thirty- fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Third Kentucky. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Third Kentucky. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 



291 



Name. 



Hargrove, W. S. 

Pierce, J. M 

West, J. W 

McClellaud,J.M. 
Laiikford, W . . . 

Stiiisoii, D 

Monroe, S 

Roclielle, J 

Carlock,T.W. .. 
Baker, Billy .... 
Phifer,W. L.... 
Mahon, P. B.... 
Jones, E. E. P . . 

Nabers, J. H 

Pettus, W. D.... 
Ponder, J. \V.... 

Lyle, Thos 

Stacy, B. F 

Asbell,A. S 

Smith, E 

Bynum, . . . 

Beal, W. J 

Black, A. D 

Barns, G.AV 

Brown, N. J 

McCone, W. J. . . 

Clark, A. F 

Hall, L. E 

Davidson, J. H . . 

Brinley, . . . 

Ehea, W. J 

Kenny, H. J. . . . 
Millsaps, E. W.. 
Hightower, W. A. 

Mitchell, W 

Pennington, E. H. 

Bratton, J 

Black, A. D 



Rank. 



Co 



Private . . . 
Sergeant . 
Captain. . . 
Sergeant . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
First Lt . . 
Sgt. Major 
Captain. . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Sergeant . 
Second Lt. 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
First Lt . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 

Lieut 

Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Captain. . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
I Private . . . 
|Lieut 



Regiment. 



G Thirty-fifth Alabama. 

C Ninth Arkansas. 

G Thirty-fifth Alabama. 

Seventh Kentucky. 

Seventh Kentucky. 

Ninth Arkansas. 

Third Kentucky. 
G Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
H Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
B Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
G Ninth Arkansas. 

Seventh Kentucky. 
D Ninth Arkansas. 
G Ninth Arkansas. 
D Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
C Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
K Thirty-fifth Alabama. 

Seventh Kentucky. 

Seventh Kentucky. 

Fifty-sixth Alabama. 

Third Kentucky. 
. . iThird Kentucky. 
D Ninth Arkansas. 

Ninth Arkansas. 

Ninth Arkansas. 
G Ninth Arkansas. 
F Ninth Arkansas. 

Fifty-fourth Alabama. 

Fifty-fourth Alabama. 

Fifty-fourth Alabama. 
C Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
E Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
A Ninth Arkansas. 

Fifty-fourth Alabama. 

Fifty-fifth Alabama. 

Fifty-fifth Alabama. 



G 



Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 



292 



SOME REBEL RELICS 



Name. 

Oclom, E. M. . . . 
Howard, J. W.. 

Black, J. O 

Kelly, S 

Kice, B. C 

Scriber, E. S... 

Smith, D 

Gilmore, J. B . . 

Fite, J. G 

Olds, W 

Nuun, J. E 

Hammack, J . . . 
Parker, E. F... 
Harper, E. H . . . 
Askew, M. W. . 
Kellogg, H. E . . 
Baskin, S. C . . . 
Tnrrentine, J. J 
Bennett, W. M. 
Hutton, J. T . . . 
Wheeler, E . . . . 
Fallen, H. C... 

Evans, A. F 

Scott, AV. A.... 
Crouse, W. D... 

Howard, . . 

Bennard, J. S. . 
Higgins, W. H. 
Beckham, W. M 
Livino'ston, 



Rank. Co. 



Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Sergeant. . 
Private . . . 
Fifth S'g't. 
Corporal . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Third Lt.. 
Corporal . 
First Lt . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Corporal . 
First Lt . . 
First Lt . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Private . . . 
Second Lt. 



G 



Regiment. 



Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Fifty-fourth Alabama . 
Fifty-fourth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Fifty-fifth Alabama. 
Fifty-fourth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Fifty-fourth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Fifty-fourth Alabama. 
Fifty-fourth Alabama. 
Ninth Arkansas. 
Fifty-fourth Alabama. 
Fifty-fourth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 
Fifty-fourth Alabama. 



Seekers of ! 


EIeligion. 


Wright, P. W... 


Sergeant . 


I 


Thirty-fifth Alabama 


Crutcher, A. B.. 


Second Lt. 


D 


Thirty-fifth Alabama. 


Brown, J. E 


Private . . . 


B 


Thirty-fifth Alabama. 


Hayney, AV. I... 


Corporal . 


H 


Thirty-fifth Alabama. 


Colbert, G. G... 


Private . . . 


G 


Ninth Arkansas. 



FROM THE SEAT OF AVAll. 



293 



Name. 


Rank. 


Co. 


Regiinent. 


Cooper, S. D. . . . 


Private . . . 


Third Kentucky. 


Martin, J.L 


Private . . . 


D 


Thirty-fifth Alabama. 


Meadows, T. H. . 


Private . . . 


G 


Thirty-fifth Alabama. 


Posey, J. M 


Private . . . 


A 


Thirty-fifth Alabama. 


CargiU, E. A. . . . 


Private . . . 




Third Kentucky. 


Beavers, W. C . . 


Private . . . 




Twenty-seventh Ala. 


Befford, J. P . . . . 


Private . . . 


. 


Fifty-fourth Alabama. 


Jones, W 


Private . . . 


G 


Ninth Arkansas. 


Moss, J. C 


Private . . . 


A 


Ninth Arkansas. 


Yount, D. C... 


Private . . . 


K 


Ninth Arkansas. 


Morris, Z.T 


Private . . . 




Ninth Arkansas. 


Haws, J.N 


Private . . . 




Fifty-fourth Alabama. 


Chapman, L. P . . 


Private . . . 




Twenty-seventh Ala. 


Bates, D. B 


Private . . . 




Ninth Arkansas. 


AVilburu, E. M.. 


Private . . . 




Fifty-fifth Alabama. 


Wills J 


Private . . . 
Private. . . 




Ninth Arkansas. 


Flynn, J. F 

Robertson, N. T. 


Fifty -fourth Alabama. 
Thirty-fifth Alabama. 


Private. . . 


D 


Friend, D. B.... 


Private. . . 


B 


Thirty-fifth Alabama. 


Mosely, A. W... 


Private. . . 


B 


Thirty-fifth Alabama. 



The officers elected at the time of the re- 
organization were: President, B. M. Faris; 
First Yice President, R. W. Millsaps; Sec- 
ond Vice President, J. AY. West; Third Yice 
President, A. F. Evans; Fourth Vice Presi- 
dent, J. E. INunn; Recording Secretary, W. 
L. Phifer; Assistant Recording Secretary, 
H. E. Kellogg; Corresponding Secretary, A. 
T. Goodloe; Librarian, W. G. Whitfield. 

The following is a list of those wdio volun- 



294 SOME REBEL RELICS 

leered, while at Canton, to conduct divine 
worship at our various religious meetings in 
the absence of a minister of the gospel: B. 

M. Faris, A. T. Goodloe, A. F. Clark, 

Livingston, J. M. Pearce, E. M. Odom, J. W. 
West, J. E. Nunn, H. M. Terry, :i^. B. Eth- 
ridge, R. F. Parker, J. F. Harrison, L. E. 
Hall, J. I^. Sandlin, J. Hammock, L. A. 
Terry, S. Skelley, W. Myers, W. W. Morris, 
A. F. Evans, J. H. Davidson, W. G. Whit- 
field, W. T. Hargrove. 

My two Bible Classes, organized in our 
regiment, were: 

Bible Class JVo. L — James L. Martin, Wil- 
liam D. Pettus, A. B. Crutcher, H. E. Kellogg, 
J. JSr. Martin, John A. Hurn, Samuel P. Lewis, 
William G. Whitfield, W. Pike Cockrill, M. 
K. McCarty, T. J. IS^ale, W. J. Thomason, B. 
Patterson, D. M. Allen, H. H. Thompson, 
Abe H. Huddleston, B. F. Camper, J. M. 
Winfrey, B. F. Wilmore, F. Y. Johnson, 
Samuel G. Peete, Stephen Giles, W. M. Kin- 
ney, E. M. Odom, J. E. JSTunn, Y. P. IS'ew- 
man, Robert E. Wiggins. 

Bible Class JSTo, 2.— J. M. Gray, R. C. 



FKOM TilE SEAT OF WAU. 295 

Hafley, R. B. Meadows, J. J. AVilliams, D. 
K. Barksdale, J. S. Starkey, W. J. Ponder, 
J. D. Mitchell, W. II. Foote, W. V. Al- 
dridgc, M. AY. Askew, M. S. Darnel, J. W. 
West, J. W. Sandlin, J. W. Leniay, W. 
Myers. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE roll of members of the Christian As- 
sociation which I preserved is the one 
that was made ont at Canton when the regi- 
mental Avas merged into the brigade Associa- 
tion, and does not embrace the names of for- 
mer members, except snch as were present 
Avhen the change was made. Many of the 
old members wei*e not with the regiment 
then, some having fallen in battle, or been 
disabled by wonnds and sickness, for dnty; 
while there were those who were off on a fur- 
longh, and others Avho had transferred to 
other commands. Xor is the list of volun- 
teers to lead in our religious meetings a com- 
plete one, so far as relates to some who had 
previous to the reorganization been active 
workers, but were not present then to have 
their names reentered. How many members 
there were in our Association from first to 

last, and how many engaged to conduct wor- 
(296) 



SOME llEKEL llELICS. 297 

ship, cannot with certainty be stated; l)ut the 
lists, especially the roll of members, which I 
have given could be much lengthened if we 
could gather up the names of those who were 
our comrades in the work and worship of 
Christ. 

We were never troubled with denomina- 
tionalism to any serious extent at any time, 
in connection with our religious work, but a 
preacher was with us a short while at Can- 
ton who, many of us feared, would give us 
trouble in this direction, as he exhibited a 
decided disposition to magnify the peculiar 
dogmas of his Church. There were no divis- 
ions created among us, however. Some- 
times in social conversation we would speak 
of the lines of demarcation between the 
Churches, but never in a spirit of contro- 
versy. It was generally done to gain informa- 
tion, or for some other innocent purpose. In 
connection with this matter a pleasant inci- 
dent occurred in my hut at Canton. Evans, 
Faris, AVhitfield, and I were in conversation. 
Evans was a Cumberhxnd Presbyterian; Far- 
is, a Presbyterian; Whitfield, a Baptist; and 



298 SOME KEBEL KELICS 

I, a Methodist. Evans, apologetically, intro- 
duced the subject of falling from grace, for 
the purpose of ascertaining what scripture 
and argument supported each one of us in 
the positions Avhich we held. Of course w^e 
made him speak first; and he told us why he 
believed apostasy impossible. Whitfield spoke 
next, and expressed himself about as Evans 
did. Paris, always modest, insisted that he 
be the last speaker, and so it was now my 
time to give a reason for my faith in regard 
to this dogma; but, instead of doing so, I 
moved that we use all diligence to make our 
calling and election sure, that we labor in the 
vineyard of the Lord with ever increasing 
earnestness, and that we make no effort to 
lose our religion in order to test the possibil- 
ity of such a thing. Faris seconded the mo- 
ton with a gusto, and it was unanimously 
carried in the same style. 

Although the visiting preachers who came 
at times into camp did us much good, w^e felt 
constantly the need of a chaplain to abide in 
our midst, take the general oversight, at 
least of our meetings, and perform various 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 299 

pastoral functions among the soldiers. "We 
were constantly on the lookout for some one 
suited to the position, but could never get a 
successor to our dear Brother Wilson. ]N^o- 
vember 14, 1863, I wrote to the Southern 
Christian Advocate on this subject in part, 
and as a relic of those days, I will here give 
the communication in full. 

"From Gen^. Buford's Brigade. 

''Mr, Editor: I have not been as prompt 
as I ought to have been in returning thanks 
for the several packages of Advocates that I 
have lately received for distribution in this 
brigade. It is a fact loug since demonstra- 
ted that religious newspapers are read with 
more avidity by soldiers than any other form 
or character of reading matter, though in 
this brigade at present, there is an almost 
universal thirst for religious reading in what- 
ever form it can be obtained. We have pro- 
cured a small library for our Christian Asso- 
ciation, and the books are anxiously sought 
and read by both saint and sinner. 

"A revival of religion commenced in this 



300 SOME REBEL RELICS 

brigade the early part of August, and by the 
grace of God it still continues with increas- 
ing interest. After a protracted meeting of 
several weeks, the visiting preachers all left, 
having remained as long as they could with 
us. Being filled with the love of God, and 
feeling deep anxiety for the success of his 
cause among our fellow-sokliers, a few of us 
began a prayer meeting, which we held every 
night b}^ the light of pine torches placed on 
scaffolds. In a short while the prayer meet- 
ing became a brigade institution. ]N^ow, 
Avhenever we move the first thing that is at- 
tended to when we stop is to " fix up a meet- 
ing place," and it would do your heart good 
to see the number of volunteers we have for 
this kind of work. Here w^e have a capa- 
cious arbor and seats enough under it to ac- 
commodate the large congregations that as- 
semble almost every night. !Now and then 
a minister of the gospel comes along and 
preaches to us, and they invariably express 
their gratification at having such large and 
attentive audiences. I wish I were able to 
inform you of the number of conversions 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 301 

that have taken place. The more noticeable 
feature connected with this revival is the 
great moral revolution that has taken place 
in our brigade, there being no gambling 
scenes now witnessed, such as were once 
seen in some places. There are two chap- 
lains in the brigade (composed now of nine 
regiments), and it has so happened here that 
the two regiments to which they belong are 
camped so far off from our meeting place 
that the men cannot conveniently attend the 
brigade meetings; and the chaplains, feeling 
that they owe their first duties to their re- 
spective regiments, do not come often to 
preach to us; but Brother McCutchon, of 
the Seventh Kentucky Regiment, comes 
over as often as he can get off from his men 
without causing them to grumble at him. 
lie is the most faithful laborer I have ever 
seen in the army, and it is, to a great extent, 
due to his labors that the reformation has 
taken place in our brigade. He has the con- 
fidence and esteem of every man, and when- 
ever it is announced that ' Brother Mc' is 
going to preach to us the ' boys ' come 



302 SOME REBEL RELICS 

flocking to hear him. O for a few more 
such men in this department! 

" We have been trying to get a chaplain 
for onr regiment (Thirty-fifth Alabama), but 
can find no man qualified for the position 
who will accept it. We want a man of deep 
piety, hard sense, not easily off*ended, that 
can sleep on the ground, and eat blue beef 
and corn bread. 

"I am convinced that the ministers of our 
Church are not all doing their whole duty in 
this war. Claiming to be peculiarly identi- 
fied with the South, no Southern Methodist 
preacher ought to shrink from any hardship 
and privation in our war for Southern inde- 
pendence. The laAV allows preachers the 
privilege of performing clerical duties 
wherever their inclinations may lead them, 
and I am sorry to say that the inclinations 
of some are leading them to places of ease 
and comfort. The harvest here is ripe and 
abundant, but the laborers are few. A few 
faithful laborers could enter the w^ork and 
have scores of souls for their hire. I must 
not neglect to mention the names of Broth- 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 303 

ers Koss, Cooper, Jones, Davis, and McClel- 
land, who labored with great effect at the 
commencement of this remarkable revival; 
also Brothers Mclnnis, Griffin, Burns, Har- 
rington, Ward, Coffey, and Lee, who have 
paid ns passing visits, and pointed sinners to 
the ' Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin 
of the w^orld. ' " 

I wrote wiiat were then my convictions 
in regard to more of our preachers entering 
the army as chaplains, though I possibly did 
not have u\ mind the fact that many of them 
were in the fighting department, and that 
the home folks stood in greater need of their 
services, perhaps, than we did. The publi- 
cation of this communication was the occa- 
sion of many letters of inquiry from the 
preachers being written to me, but the way 
seemed not to be open to any of them to fill 
the vacancy in our regiment. 

Our first stopping place after we left 
Canton was Demopolis, Ala., where w^e 
were in camp a short while in February, 
1864. Here our daily religious services were 
altogether delightful, though there were no 



304: SOME REBEL RELICS 

special revival efforts put forth, albeit the 
revival fires were still' burning brightly in 
our hearts and in our midst. At the meeting 
of the Christian Association here I had the 
pleasure of reading communications to us 
from Bishop Paine and Kev. Thomas O. 
Summers, D.D., of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South, commending us for our la- 
bors in Christ Jesus, and encouraging us to 
still abound therein. These letters were as 
cordial to our souls, and with a rising vote 
we unanimously and heartily thanked the 
authors for writing them. 

'Near Newburg, jN'orth Alabama, the 
Twenty-seventh and Thirty-fifth Alabama 
Regiments camped April 1-10, 186i, and 
here we had some very precious meetings in 
a church close by. Brothers F. S. Petway 
and J. D. Barbee preached several times 
here for us acceptably and effectively, be- 
sides other religious services that we held in 
the church. The work of grace moved on, 
though there are no conversions at this place 
noted in my diary. 

These two regiments were at Courtland 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 305 

April 16-27, and here Ave had daily services 
in the churcli, having the ministrations of 
Kevs. Joseph White and Felix K. Hill, of 
tlie Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and 
Coffey, of the Cumberland Presbyterian 
Church. The meeting was characterized by 
great religious fervor and revival power. 
Many penitents were at the altar of prayer, 
and nearly twenty souls were converted. 
The tide of rejoicing ran high, and our re- 
ligious gladness was unrestrained. In the 
midst of the meeting, April 27, we received 
marching orders, and left at noon. I say in 
my diary : " We part with the good people 
of Courtland with many tears." 

While our army was on the '' Kennesaw 
line " in Georgia in the summer of 1864, 
though in the trenches pretty much all the 
time, we managed to find frequent opportu- 
nities for assembling for divine worship, 
though generally the enemy, from a distance, 
would be firing at us with their long-range 
cannons and rifles. We would hear the 
noise of their passing shot and shell, but 
none of them ever fell among us while we 

20 



306 SOME REBEL RELICS 

were engaged in worship. They were gen- 
erally prayer meetings that we had while 
here, though occasionally a minister would 
drop in with us and preach for us. Rev. 
Robert A. "Wilson, our old chaplain, sur- 
prised and delighted us with a visit July 1, 
2, and preached to large and attentive au- 
diences both those days. He would have 
remained longer had not orders reached us, 
the last evening he was with us, to be ready 
to move at a moment's notice. His pres- 
ence gladdened all our hearts, and he ex- 
pressed great joy at seeing the religious in- 
terest, which he had formerly done so much 
to promote, still being actively maintained 
in our command. 

After leaving Kennesaw we made a brief 
stand north of the Chattahoochee River, and 
then crossed over this stream to a strong po- 
sition " in front of Atlanta." Before settling 
down in this position we lingered for awhile 
above it, there seeming to be an imminent 
probability of an open field engagement with 
the enemy. During this interval, so to 
speak, our regiment was close to the Forty- 



FROM THE SEAT OP WAR. 307 

ninth Alabama, in which a meeting was con- 
ducted by a preacher named Ilullet, of the 
Baptist Church, I think. All who could 
from our regiment attended these services, 
which were characterized by convicting and 
converting grace. There were quite a num- 
ber of conversions and accessions to the 
Church; and although these men got religion 
under fire, so to speak, they nevertheless 
gave sure evidence that it w as the '^ old time 
religion " that they had. 

It w^ill be remembered that we w^ere in 
those days in the midst of as active military 
operations as Gen. Sherman with his 100,000 
invaders could make them, as onward he 
constantly came, bending all his energies 
and using his mightiest efforts to overwhelm 
our gallant, resisting force of less than half 
the number of men. It was incessant war- 
fare in its most violent and gigantic forms 
iu which we were then engaged, but the 
worship of God was maintained in one form 
or another with unabating constancy and 
zeal. As I look, at this remote day from 
those trying and bloody times, into my diary 



308 SOME REBEL RELICS 

my heart is greatly touched with the notes 
that I then made, and I feel like praising 
God in loftiest strains for the blessed privi- 
leges he then afforded us of honoring his 
name and laboring for the salvation of our 
fellow-soldiers, and for the limitless bene- 
dictions which were bestowed upon us from 
on high. While persistently confronting 
the foes of our country, we with none the 
less determination withstood, by divine 
grace, the encroachment of the adversary of 
souls. In this connection I will here give 
a few personal items from my army diary: 

Sunday, July 17, was " clear and pleas- 
ant." "In the morning I met and heard 
my Bible class, after which I attended 
preaching in the Forty-ninth Alabama Reg- 
iment by Brother Ilullet. In the afternoon 
we had a good prayer meeting in our regi- 
ment conducted by Lieut. Evans. At night 
I went to preaching again in the Forty- 
ninth Alabama Regiment, and witnessed the 
reception of several men into the Church. 
The Lord is greatly blessing us." 

"July 20. Generally clear. This morn- 



FllOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 309 

ing I met my Bible class as usual, and liad 
a good time studying the Scriptures. At 12 
o'clock we are called to ' attention/ move 
some distance to the right, and then go for- 
ward into battle — the battle of Peach Tree 
Creek." 

" July 28. Clear and warm. We have 
been prevented by heavy fatigue and picket 
duty for several days from attending to re- 
ligious services in the regiment. I heard 
my Bible class this morning, which was an 
interesting and profitable occasion to us all. 
At noon we move to the left where a battle 
was begun, to support the front line of at- 
tack, and are subjected to heavy fire, losing 
several of our men. We remain on the field 
till midnight, bringing ofP the wounded 
from betw^een our lines and those of the en- 
emy, and then move back to a new position 
on the left." 

Had I fallen in either one of these battles, 
I would have gone from the delightful study 
of God's most precious word with my dear 
comrades in arms into his immediate and 
blissful presence on high; and it is joyful 



310 SOME KEBEL KELIOS 

to my soul to-day to contemplate the fact 
that I was thus engaged on the eve of battle, 
albeit I knew not that the deadly strife 
would the same day set in as the sun began 
to lean westward. "Be ye therefore ready 
also; for the Son of man cometh at an hour 
when ye think not." 

Several new positions were taken the last 
days of July and early in August to defeat, 
as far as possible, Sherman's flanking move- 
ments, but each day we had preaching and 
prayer meeting and Bible studies. August 
10-17 the revival fires burned exceedingly 
brightly; large numbers of penitents sought 
religion at our rude altars of prayer, most of 
whom were converted, and Christians ex- 
ulted in the Lord with ever freshening joys. 
Speaking of myself, I say in my diary of 
August 16: "My soul is greatly blessed." 
In this series of services we had the minis- 
trations of Revs. Coffey, Cooper, Frazier, 
Davis, S. M. Cherry, Given, and King. 

After Hood evacuated Atlanta and began 
his self-destructive Tennessee campaign, no 
opportunities were afforded for revival meet- 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAK. 311 

iiigs until the few fragments that were left 
of his army were in North Carolina, though 
the prayer meetings were held from time to 
time as our situation would allow. In the 
latter part of March, 1865, there was a de- 
cided, though not very general revival meet- 
ing in camp. Quite a number of mourners 
were at the altar, and there were several 
conversions. This is the last revival that 
I noted in my diary, and the last one with 
which I was connected. Then the surren- 
der was virtually at hand. 

Verily there is such a thing as religion 
among soldiers who go to war in defense of 
such principles as those for which we 
fought ! 

I close the record of these relics at 10 
o'clock, Friday morning. May 6, 1892, hav- 
ing gathered them together during the leis- 
ure moments that I have had the last three 
and a half months, and those principles which 
moved me to take up arms in their defense 
over thirty years ago, are as dear to me to- 
day as they were then; the men, also, with 
whom I withstood Lincoln's invading col- 



312 SOME KBBEL RELICS 

niniis have my boundless love and admira- 
tion, except such as have made, since then, 
shipwreck of their principles, and gone into 
the camp of Southern haters. The cause for 
which we contended was lost, which we all 
candidly confess, but never for one moment 
since our final defeat have I felt the slightest 
inclination to change my views on the issues 
which culminated in the war; and, for the 
sake of my old comrades, I would never let 
it be known if I were really to honestly un- 
dergo a change of mind with reference to 
these matters. 

Concerning the war, my only regret is that 
I was not a more valiant and laborious sol- 
dier than I was, and that I had not the priv- 
ilege of being with my regiment in every 
battle that they helped to fight. I was gen- 
erally with my men in these scenes of blood 
and carnage, but was detained in Yicksburg 
in charge of a sick camp when they went to 
Baton Rouge, and was made Adjutant of the 
Posts at Cherokee and Barton, under Col. 
Mc Alexander, by Gen. Hood as he was about 
to cross the Tennessee River on his way to 



FKOM THE SEAT OF WAR. 313 

!N"ashville. These two expeditions, in the 
providence of God, I missed, though I had 
no thought that such would be the case un- 
til, on their very eve, orders came to me from 
headquarters detaining me for these unex- 
pected duties. The soldier whom, of all oth- 
ers, I most highly regard and honor, is the 
one who, with gun in hand, answered at ev- 
ery roll call of his company, marched on ev- 
ery march, did fatigue duty at every turn, 
and fought in every battle. Well done, good 
and faithful soldier! 

There lives not to-day an ex-Confederate 
soldier, whatever may now be his manner of 
life, that has not my most respectful regards 
and affection if he but still maintains his 
devotion to the freedom for which he bared 
his breast to Yankee bullets during the dark 
days of 1861-1865. If there are any who 
are now leading immoral or unrighteous 
lives, or who are engaged in degrading pur- 
suits, I am nevertheless interested in them 
for what tho}^ have done and for the South- 
ernism that abides in their hearts; and I hold 
myself ever in readiness now, as I did when 



314: SOME REBEL RELICS 

we marched, bivouacked, and fought together 
under the banners of ouf short-lived, but glo- 
rious Confederacy, to pray for them and lend 
them a helping hand to Christ and lives of 
piety. 

Finallv, let it ever be borne in mind that 
the secession of the Southern States was, on 
their part, made a necessity by the threaten- 
ing attitude toward them of the dominant 
party of the I^orth, and that we were in no 
sense responsible for the war being begun. 
Abraham Lincoln, the chosen leader of the 
South-hating Abolition party, and acciden- 
tally made President by a minority of the vo- 
ters of the United States, advertised his bel- 
ligerent longings in his inaugural address. 
Soon afterward he exhibited his bloodthirsty 
propensity by arranging to reenforce Fort 
Sumter, and then, failing in this undertaking, 
calling for seventy-five thousand men to in- 
vade and subjugate the South. Thus did he, 
by his own overt act of violence, bring on the 
war; and at a time, too, when, through Mr. 
Seward, his Secretary of State, he was giving 
assurance to Justice Campbell that Fort 

^ KD-94L 



FllOM THE SEAT OF WAK. 315 

Sumter would not only not be reenforced, 
but that it would be evacuated at a very early 
day — right away. 

Peace Commissioners from the South, and 
conservative patriots from IN^orth and South 
were urging upon him a pacific policy, but 
their counsels were as naught to him, so bent 
was he upon crushing by force of arms the 
people of the South who regarded his elec- 
tion as a menace to their constitutional liber- 
ties. 

As to the question of state sovereignty, 
suppose that we were mistaken in our views 
of it, which is by no means admitted, was it 
worth all the desolation and suffering and 
carnage that were involved in the war which 
he precipitated to establish a different the- 
ory? 



The End. 





-•'■"* o 















h^ > 











u 



cl °^ '.^ 




* ^^^ 







/b^r 








.s- 











•^^0^ 












WJI^.- 


.-^'\ 


' *'o . » *'* 


A 


'0 V* 


\.^-. 

:^^^& 


.■^ ^^ 


►^^i^JI 


OOBBS BROS. 




LIBRARY BINDINQ 


* ^^^lA' -^ 












<^ V 8 -^^ V ,v^*^ > 

JT. AUGUSTINE "^ ^1^ »^^^.4^^. . <^ 



FLA. 






"-^^- 



1// i^t) Vvh* 




,<^' 



